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GREAT    EXEMPLAR: 


OR,    THE    LIFE    OF 


OUR  EVER-BLESSED  SAVIOUR 


JESUS      CHRIST. 


JEREMY   TAYLOR,   D.D., 

BISBOP    OF   DOWN    AXD    CONNOR. 

IN     TWO     VOLUMES. 
VOL.  II. 


NEW    YORK: 

ROBERT    CARTER    &    BROTHERS, 

53  0      BROADWAY. 

18  5  9. 


THB 

HISTORY  OF  THE  LIFE  AND  DEATH 

OF   THE 

HOLY    JESUS, 

BEQINNINQ     AT    THE     TIME     OF    HIS     FIRST    AHRAOLH, 
UNTIL  THE   SECOND   TEAR   OP    HIS   PRKACHINQ. 

PART  n. 


CONTENTS. 


Pa«« 


THE  LIFE  OF  OUR  LORD  AND  SAVIOUR. 

PART   II. 
Sf.ct.       X.— The  Manifestation  of  Jesus  by  the   Testi- 

niony  of  St.  John  ....       2 

Considerations  touching  the  Vocation  of  five 

Disciples,  and  of  the  first  jMiracle  of  Jesun       8 
Discourse  VII.— Of  Faith  .  .     20 

Sect.     XI. — Of  Christ's  going  to  Jerusalem  .     42 

Considerations  thereupon         .  .         .     47 

Discourse    VIII — Of    the  Religion  of 

Holy  Places           .         .  .         .         .33 

Sect.  XII. — Of  Jesus's  Departure  into  Galilee  ;  his  man- 
ner of  Life ;  his  calling  of  Disciples,  &c.  76 
Considerations  upon  the  intercourse  between 

Jesus  and  the  Woman  of  Samaria             .  92 

Considerations  upon  Christ's  first  Preaching  105 

Discourse    IX.  — Of  Repentance            .  117 


CONTENTS. 

Pae* 
Sect    XII.  continued. 

Considerations  upon  Christ's  Sermon  on  the 
]\Iountj  and  of  the  Eight  Beatitudes         .   183 

Discourse  X. — Upon  the  Decalogue       .  213 

Discourse  XI. — Of  the  three  additional 
Precepts  which  Christ  superinduced,  and 
made  parts  of  the  Christian  Law. 

Part  I. — Of  I'orgiveness  .         .  273 

Part  II.— Of  Alms  .         .         .201 

Part  III.— Of  not  Judging      .         .297 

Discourse  XII. — Of  the  second  addition.al 
Precept,  viz.  Of  Prayer  .         .         .  299 

Discourse  XIII. — Of  the  third  additional 
Precept,  viz.  Of  the  Planner  of  Fasting  .  330 

Discourse  XIV. — Of  the  IMiracles  which 
Jesus  wrought  for  confirmation  of  his 
Doctrine        ...*..  341 

PART   III. 

Sect. XII I.— Of  the  Second    Year  of  the  Preaching  of 

Jesus  ......       5 

Discourse  XV.— Of  the  Excellency  and 
Advantages   of    bearing    Christ's    Yoke, 
and  living  according  to  his  Institution     .     19 
Discourse  XVI.— Of  Certainty  of  Salva- 
tion ......     72 

Sect.  XIV.— Of  the  Third  Year  of  the  Preaching  cf  Jesus     90 
Discourse  XVII. — Of  rfcaudal;  or  giv- 
ing and  taking  Offence  .         .         .117 
DiscounsE   XVIII. — f)f  the  Causes  and 
Planner  of  the  Divint  Judgments  .   I'AQ 

Sect.  XV. — Of  the  Accidents  ha))peninu;  from  the  Death 
of  Lazarus,  until  the  Death  and  Burial 
of  Jesus         .  .         .         .         .   IC4 


cox  TF.  NTS. 

Hag* 
Sect.  XV.-— continued. 

Considerations  of  some  Preparatory  Acci- 
dents before  the  Entrance  of  Jesus  into  his 
Passion 198 

Considerations  upon  the  Washing  of  hi; 
Disciples"  Feet  by  Jesus,  and  his  Sermon 
of  Humility 213 

DtscoURSE  XIX. — Of  the  Institution  and 
Reception  of  the  Holy  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper        .....  229 

Considerations  upon  the  Accidents  happen- 
ing on  the  Vespers  of  the  Passion  .  2G9 

Considerations  upon  the  Accidents  happen- 
ing from  the  Apprehension  till  the  Cruci- 
fixion of  Jesus        .....  285 

Discourse  XX. — Of  Death,  and  the  due 
Manner  of  Preparation  to  it  .         .  303 

Considerations  upon  the  Crucifixion  of  the 
Holy  Jesus  .....  339 

Sect.  XVI. — Of  the  Resurrection  and  Ascension  of  Jesus  356 
Considerations  upon  the  Accidenf  happen- 
ing in  the  interval  after  the  Death  of  t'.ie 
Holy  Jesus,  until  his  Resurrection  .  363 


T  II  E    LIFE 


OK  <)i'H  ni.y.^SKn 


LORD  AM)  SAVIOUR  JKSL'S  C II R I.ST. 
PAliT  11. 

SECTION   I. 

Of  the  first  Afuiilfi'sfdtion  ofJu.sKf!,  hi/  lliii  Tcslimont/ 
of  St.Jolui,  and  a  Mirodc. 

1.  After  tliattlie  Baptist,  by  a  sign  from  heaven, 
was  confirmed  in  spirit  and  understanding  that 
Jesus  was  the  Messias,  he  immediately  published 
to  the  Jews  what  God  had  manifested  to  him:  and 
first  to  the  priests  and  licvites  sent  in  legation  from 
the  Sanhedrim,  he  professed  indefinitely,  in  an- 
swer to  their  question,  that  himself  was  'not  tlie 
Christ,''  nor  'Elias,'  nor  'that  prophet'  whom 
they,  by  a  special  tradition,  did  expect  to  be  re- 
vealed, they  knew  not  when.  And  concerning  him- 
self definitely  he  said  nothing,  but  that  he  was 
'  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness.  Make 
straight  the  way  of  the  Lord.'*  "  He  it  was  who 
was  then   'amongst  them,'^  but   'not  known;'  a 

»  John,  i.  20,21.  '   Ibid,  verse  23.  ^   Ibid,  verse  2C 


4  HISTORY    OF 

person  of  great  dignity,  to  wiiom  the  Bupli.st  v.  as 
'  not  worthy'  to  do  the  office  of  the  lowest  ministry  ;' 
'  who  coniin<j  after  John  was  preferred  far  before 
him  ;'^  who  was  to  *  increase,'  and  the  Baptist  was 
to  'decrease;'^  who  did  'baptize  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  with  fire. '^ 

.2.  This  was  the  character  of  his  personal  prero- 
gatives:  but  as  yet  no  demonstration  was  made  ol 
his  person^  till  after  the  descent  cf  t'ue  Holy  Ghost 
upon  Jesus  :  and  then,  whenever  the  Baptist  saw 
Jesus,  he  points  him  out  with  his  finger,  '  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sins  o\ 
the  world:  this  is  he.'^  I'lien  he  shows  him  to 
Andrew,  Simon  Peter's  brother,  with  the  same  de- 
signation, and  to  another  disciple  vvitli  him;  who 
both  '  followed  Jesus,  and  abode  with  him  all 
night.'®  Andrew  brings  his  brother  Simon  with 
him,  and  then  Christ  changes  his  name  from  Simon 
to  Peter,  or  Cephas,  which  signifies  a  stone.  Tiien 
Jesus  himself  finds  out  Philip  of  Bethsaida,  and 
bade  him  follow  him ;  and  Philip  finds  out  Natha- 
nael,  and  calls  him  to  see.  Thus,  persons  bred  in 
a  dark  cell,  upon  their  first  ascent  up  to  the  cham- 
bers of  light,  all  run  staring  upon  the  beauties  of 
the  sun,  and  call  the  partners  of  their  darkness  to 
communicate  in  their  new  and  stranger  revela- 
tion. 

3.  "When  Nathanael  was  come  to  Jesus,  Christ 
saw  his  heart,  and  gave  him  a  testimony  to  be 
truly  honest,  and  full  of  holy  simplicity,  '  a  true 
Israelite  without  guile.'  And  Nathanael,  being 
overioved  that  he  had  found  the  Messias,  believinor 

'  John,  i.  27.  =  Ibid,  verse  lo,  27,  30. 

»  Ibid,  iii.  30.  '  3Iatt.  iii.  11.         ^  John,  i.  21),  3& 

•^  Ibid,  verse  37,  39. 


,11-srss    FIRST    AnMlKSrA  I  ION.  5 

out  of  iovo,  and  loving  l)y  reason  of  liis  joy,  and 
no  suspicion,  took  tliat  for  a  proof  and  verification 
of  his  person,  which  was  very  insufficient  to  con- 
firm a  doubt,  or  ratify  a  probability.  But  so  we 
believe  a  story  which  we  love,  taking  probabilitiijs 
for  demonstrations,  and  casual  accidents  for  proba- 
bilities, and  any  thing  that  creates  vehement  pre- 
sumptions;  in  which  cases  our  guides  are  not  our 
knowing  faculties,  but  our  affections,  and  if  they 
be  holy,  God  guides  them  into  the  right  persua- 
sions; as  he  does  little  birds  to  make  rare  nests, 
though  they  understand  not  the  mystery  of  opera- 
tion, nor  the  design  and  purpose  of  the  action. 

4.  But  .lesus  took  his  will  and  forwardness  of  affec- 
tions in  so  good  part,  that  he  promised  him  greater 
things :  and  this  gave  occasion  to  the  first  pro- 
phecy which  was  made  by  Jesus.  For  '  Jesus  said 
unto  him,  because  I  said  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig- 
tree,  believest  thou  ?  Thou  shalt  see  greater  things 
than  these.*  And  then  he  prophesied  that  he  should 
see  '  heaven  open,  and  the  angel  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  man.' '  But,  being 
a  doctor  of  the  law,  Christ  chose  him  not  at  all  to 
the  college  o*"  apostles. 

o.  Much  about  the  same  time,  there  happened 
to  be  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  in  the  vicin- 
age of  his  dwelling,  where  John  the  Evangelist  is 
by  some  supposed  to  have  been  the  bridegroom : 
(but  of  this  there  is  no  certainty:)  and  thither 
Jesus  being  with  bis  mother  invited,  he  went  to  do 
civility  to  the  persons  espoused,  and  to  do  honour 
to  the  holy  rite  of  marriage.  The  persons  then 
married,  were  but  of  indifferent  fortunes,  riciier  in 

S.  Aug.  tia.  xvii,  c-  i.  ir«  Joan. 


fi  ni.STORY    OF 

love  of  neigliboLirs  t])an  in  the  Tulness  oC  ritli  pos- 
sessions; tiiey  li.id  more  company  than  wine.  For 
the  master  of  the  feast  (whom,  according-  to  ll»e 
order  and  piety  of  the  nation,  they  cliose  from  the 
order  of  priests  to  be  the  president  of  the  feast,  by 
the  reverence  of  his  person  to  restrain  all  inordina- 
tion,  by  his  discretion  to  govern  and  order  the  cir- 
cumstances, by  his  religious  knowledge  to  direct 
the  solemnities  of  marriage,  and  to  retain  all  the 
persons  and  actions  in  the  bounds  of  prudence  and 
modesty)  complained  to  the  bridegroom,  that  the 
guests  wanted  wine. 

6.  As  soon  as  the  holy  virgin-mother  had  notice 
of  the  want,  out  of  charity,  that  uses  to  be  em- 
])loyed  in  supplying  even  the  minutest  and  smallest 
articles  of  necessity,  as  well  as  the  chimorous  im- 
portunity of  extremities  and  great  indigencies,  she 
complained  to  her  son,  by  an  indefinite  address  ; 
not  desiring  him  to  make  supply,  for  she  knew  not 
how  he  should  ;  but  either,  out  of  an  habitual  com- 
miseration, she  complained  without  lioping  for 
remedy  ;  or  else  she  looked  on  him  who  was  the 
fountain  of  holiness  and  of  plenty,  as  expecting  a 
derivation  from  him  either  of  discourses  or  mira- 
cles. But  Jesus  answered  her,  '  Woman,  what  have 
T  to  do  with  thee  ?  mine  hour  is  not  yet  come.' 
By  this  answer,  intending  no  denial  to  the  purpose 
of  his  mother's  intimation,  to  whom  he  always  bore 
a  religious  and  pious  reverence ;  but  to  signify, 
that  he  was  not  yet  entered  into  his  period  and 
years  of  miracles:  and  when  he  did,  it  must  be 
not  for  respect  of  kindred  or  civil  relations,  but  as 
it  is  a  derivation  of  power  from  above,  so  it  must 
be  in  pursuit  of  tliat  service  and  design,  which  ho 
had  received  in  charge  together  with  his  power. 


J i: suss    FIRST    ."MAMIIISTATION.  7 

7.  And   so  his  mother  uncleislood    him,  giving; 
express  charg^e  to  tlie  ministers  to  do  whatsoever  lie 
commanded.     Jesus  therefore  bade  them  '  fill  the 
water-pots,'  which   stood   there  for  the  use  of  fre- 
quent washings,  which  the  Jews  did  use  in  all  pub- 
lic meetings,   for   fear   of  toucliing   pollutions,  or 
contracting  legal  impurities;  which  they  did  with 
a   curiousness   next   to  superstition,   washing  the 
very   beds   and  tables   used   at   their   feasts.     The 
ministers  '  filled   them  to  the  brim,'  and,  as  they 
were  commanded,  •  drew  out,  and   bare   unto  the 
governor  of  the   feast ;'  who  '  knew  not  of  it,'  till 
the  miracle  grew  public,  and,  like  light,  showed 
itself.     For  wliile  !!ey  wondered  at  the  economy 
of  that   feast,  in    '  keeping  the  best  wine  till  the 
last,'  it  grew  apparent  that  he  who  was  the  Lord  of 
the  creatures,  who  in  their  first  seeds  have  an  obe- 
diential capacity  to  receive  the  impresses  of  what 
forms  he   pleases  to  imprint,  could   give  new  na- 
tures, and  produce  new  qualities  in  that  subject  in 
which  he  chooses  to  glorify  his  Son, 

8.  '  This  beginning  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in 
Cana  of  Galilee.'  For  all  those  miracles  which 
are  reported  to  be  done  by  Christ  in  his  infancy, 
and  interval  of  his  younger  years,  are  apocryphal 
and  spurious,  feigned  by  trifling  understandings, 
(who  think  to  serve  God  with  a  well-meant  lie,) 
and  promoted  by  the  credulity  of  sucli  persons  in 
whose  hearts  easiness,  folly,  and  credulity  are  bound 
up  and  tied  fast  with  silken  thread,  and  easy  soft- 
nesses of  religious  affections,  not  made  severe  by 
the  rigours  of  wisdom  and  experience.  This  first 
miracle  manifested  his  glory,  and  'his  disciples  be- 
lieved in  him.' 


cOxNSIdi;k.\tions  on 


Ad.  section  X. 


Considerations  louching  the  Vacation  of  fire  Disciples, 
and  of  the  Jirst  Miracle  of  Jesus,  done  at  Cana  in 
Galilee. 

1.  As  soon  as  ever  John  the  Baptist  was  taught 
by  the  descent  of  tlie  Holy  Spirit  that  this  was 
Jesus,  he  instantly  preaches  him  to  all  that  came 
near  him.  For  the  Holy  Ghost  was  his  commission 
and  instruction  :  and  now  he  was  a  minister  evan- 
gelical, and  taught  all  those  that  have  the  honour 
to  be  servants  in  so  sacred  employment,  lliat  they 
must  not  go  till  they  be  sent,  nor  speak  till  they  be 
instructed,  nor  yet  hold  their  peace  when  their 
commission  is  signed  by  the  consignation  of  the 
Spirit  in  ordinary  ministry.  For  '  all  power  and  all 
wisdom  is  from  above,'  and  in  spiritual  ministrations 
is  a  direct  emanation  from  the  Holy  Spirit ;  that,  as 
no  man  is  fit  to  speak  the  mysteries  of  godliness, 
be  his  person  never  so  holy,  unless  he  derive  wis- 
dom in  order  to  such  mysteries ;  so,  be  he  never  so 
instructed  by  the  assistance  of  art  or  infused  know- 
ledge, yet  unless  he  also  have  derived  power  as  well 
as  skill,  authority  as  well  as  knowledge  from  the 
same  Spirit,  he  is  not  enabled  to  minister  in  public 
in  ordinary  ministrations.  The  Baptist  w  as  sent 
by  a  prime  designation  *  to  prepare  the  way'  to 
Jesus,  and  was  instructed  by  the  same  Spirit,  w  liich 
had  sanctified  or  consecrated  him  in  his  mother's 
womb  to  this  holy  purpose. 

2.  When  the  Baptist  had  showed  Jesus  lo  An- 
drew and  another  disciple,  they  immedialely  fol- 
lowed him  with  the  distances  and  fears  of  the  first 
approach,  and  the  infirmities  of  new  converts;   but 


THE  vorrrioN  of  pivr  discipi.f.s.  U 

Jesus  seeinp^  tliem  follow  their  first  liijlit,  invil(><l 
them  to  see  the  sun.  For  God  loves  to  cherish  in- 
fants in  o^race;  and  having  sown  the  immortal  seed 
in  their  hearts,  if  it  takes  root  downwards,  and 
springs  out  into  the  verdure  of  a  leaf,  he  still  waters 
it  with  the  gentle  rain  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  graces 
and  new  assistances,  till  it  brings  forth  the  fruits  of 
a  holy,  conversation.  And  God,  who  knows  that 
infants  have  need  of  pleasant,  and  gentle,  and  fre- 
quent nutriment,  hath  given  to  them  this  comfort, 
that  himself  will  take  care  of  their  first  beginnings, 
and  improve  them  to  the  strength  of  men,  and  give 
them  the  strengths  of  nature,  and  the  wisdom  of 
the  Spirit,  which  ennoble  men  to  excellencies  and 
perfections.  By  the  preaching  of  the  Baptist  they 
were  brought  to  seek  for  Christ ;  and  w  hen  they  did, 
Christ  found  them,  and  brought  them  home,  and 
made  them  'stay  all  night  with  him;'  which  was 
more  favour  than  they  looked  for.  For  God  usu- 
ally dispenses  his  mercies,  that  they  may  outrun 
our  thoughts  and  expectations;  and  they  are  given 
in  no  proportion  to  us,  but  according  to  God's  mea- 
sures: he  considering  not  what  we  are  worthy  of, 
but  what  is  fit  for  him  to  give  ;  he  only  requiring  of 
us  capacities  to  receive  his  favour,  and  fair  recep- 
tion and  entertainment  of  his  graces. 

3.  When  Andrew  had  found  Jesus,  he  calls  his 
brother  Simon  to  be  partaker  of  his  joys,  which,  as  it 
happens  in  accidents  of  greatest  pleasure,  cannot 
be  contained  within  the  limits  of  the  possessor's 
thoughts.  But  this  calling  of  Peter  was  not  to  a 
beholding,  but  to  a  participation  of  his  felicities: 
I'or  he  is  strangely  covetous  w  ho  would  enjoy  the 
sun,  or  the  air,  or  tiie  sea  alone  :  here  was  treasure 
for  him   and    all   the  world;    and   by  lighting  his 


)0  CONSIDERATIONS    ON 

brotlier  Simon's  taper,  lie  made  liis  o\wi  light  tlie 
greater  and  more  glorious.  And  this  is  the  nature 
of  grace,  to  be  diffusive  of  its  own  excellencies  ;  (or 
here  no  envy  can  inhabit :  the  proper  and  personal 
ends  of  holy  persons  in  the  contract  and  transmis- 
sions of  grace  are  increased  by  the  j)articipation 
and  communion  of  others.  For  our  prayers  are 
more  effectual,  our  aids  increased,  our  encourage- 
ment and  examples  more  prevalent,  God  more 
honoured,  and  the  rewards  of  glory  have  accidental 
advantages,  by  the  superaddition  of  every  new 
saint  and  beatified  jjerson  ;  the  members  of  the 
mystical  body,  when  they  have  received  nutriment 
from  God  and  his  only  Son,  supplying  to  t^ach  other 
the  same  which  themselves  received,  and  live  on,  in 
the  communion  of  saints.  Every  new  star  gilds 
the  firmament,  and  increases  its  first  glories  :  and 
those  who  are  instruments  of  the  conversion  of 
others,  shall  not  only  introduce  new  beauties,  but 
when  themselves  '  shine  like  the  stars  in  glory,' 
they  shall  have  some  reflections  from  the  light  of 
others,  to  whose  fixing  in  the  orb  of  heaven  them- 
selves have  been  instrumental.  And  this  conside- 
ration is  not  only  of  use  in  the  exaltations  of  the 
dignity  apostolical  and  clerical,  but  for  the  en- 
kindling even  of  private  charities;  who  may  do 
well  to  promote  others'  interests  of  piety,  in  which 
themselves  also  have  some  concernment. 

4.  These  disciples  asked  of  Christ  where  he 
dwelt :  Jesus  answered,  '  Come  and  see.'  It  was  an 
answer  very  expressive  of  our  duty  in  this  instance. 
It  is  not  enough  for  us  to  understand  where  Christ 
inhabits,  or  where  he  is  to  be  found  ;  f()r  our  under- 
standings may  follow  him  afar  off,  and  we  rective 
no  satisfaction  unless  it  be  to  curiosity  :    but  we 


Till-     V()CVTI<»N    t)F    FiV;:    DISCIPLES.  ]l 

must  go  where  lie  is,  eat  of  liis  meat,  wasli  in  liis 
lavatory,  rest  on  his  beds,  and  dwell  with  him.  For 
the  holy  .Jesus  huih  no  kind  influence  upon  those 
•who  stand  at  distance,  save  only  the  affections  of 
a  loadstone,  apt  to  draw  them  nigher,  that  he  may 
transmit  his  virtues  by  union  and  confederations: 
but  if  they  persist  in  a  sullen  distance,  they  shall 
learn  his  <ilories  as  Dives  understood  the  peace  of 
Lazarus,  of  which  he  was  never  to  participate. 
Ahhough  'the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay 
his  head,'  yet  he  hath  many  houses  where  to  con- 
vey his  graces  ;  he  hath  nothing  to  cover  his  own, 
but  he  hath  enough  to  sanctify  ours :  and  as  he 
dwelt  in  such  houses  which  the  charity  of  good 
people  then  afforded  for  his  entertainment  so  now 
he  loves  to  abide  in  places  which  the  religion  of 
his  servants  hath  vowed  to  his  honour,  and  the  ad- 
vantages of  evangelical  ministrations.  Thither 
we  must  come  to  him,  or  any  where  else  where  we 
may  enjoy  him.  He  is  to  be  found  in  a  church,  in 
his  ordinances,  in  the  communion  of  saints,  in 
every  religious  duty,  in  the  heart  of  every  holy  per- 
son :  and  if  we  go  to  him  by  the  addresses  of  reli- 
gion in  holy  places,  by  the  ministry  of  holy  rites, 
by  charity,  by  tlie  adherences  of  faith,  and  hope, 
and  other  combining  graces,  the  graces  of  union 
and  society,  or  prepare  a  lodging  for  him  within 
us,  that  he  may  come  to  us  ;  then  shall  we  see  such 
glories  and  interior  beauties,  w  hich  none  know  but 
they  that  dwell  with  him.  The  secrets  of  spiritual 
benediction  are  understood  only  by  them  to  whom 
they  are  conveyed,  even  to  the  children  of  his 
house.     '  Come  and  see.' 

5.  St.  Andrew  was  first  called,  and  that  by  Christ 
immediately;  his  brother  Simon  next,  and  that  by 


12  CONSIDER  M'lOXS    ON 

Andrew:  but  yet  Jesus  changed  Simon's  name 
iind  not  the  other's;  and  by  this  change  designed 
him  to  an  eminency  of  office,  at  least,  in  signiiica- 
tion,  principally  above  his  brother,  or  else  sepa- 
rately and  distinctly  from  him  ;  to  show  that 
these  graces  and  favours  which  do  not  immediately 
co-operate  to  eternity,  but  are  gifts  and  oflices,  or 
impresses  of  authority,  are  given  to  men  irregularly, 
and  without  any  order  of  predisponent  causes,  or 
probabilities  on  our  part,  but  are  issues  of  absolute 
predestination  ;  and  as  they  iiave  efficacy  from  those 
reasons  which  God  conceals,  so  they  have  some 
purposes  as  concealed  as  their  causes:  only  if  God 
pleases  to  make  us  vessels  of  fair  employment  and 
of  great  capacity,  we  shall  bear  a  greater  burden, 
and  are  bound  to  glorify  God  with  special  offices. 
But  as  these  exterior  and  ineffective  graces  are 
given  upon  the  same  good  will  of  God  which  made 
this  matter  to  be  a  human  body,  when,  if  God  had 
so  pleased,  it  was  capable  of  being  made  a  fungus 
or  a  sponge  ;  so  they  are  given  to  us  with  the  same 
intentions  as  are  our  souls,  that  we  might  glorify  God 
in  the  distinct  capacity  of  grace,  as  before  of  a  rea- 
sonable nature.  And  besides  that  it  teaches  us  tr> 
magnify  God's  free  mercy,  so  it  removes  every  such 
exalted  person  from  being  an  object  of  envy  to 
others,  or  from  pleasing  himself  in  vainer  opinions  : 
for  God  hath  made  him  of  such  an  employment  as 
freely  and  voluntary  as  he  hath  made  him  a  man, 
and  he  no  more  co-operated  to  this  grace  than  to  his 
own  creation;  and  may  as  well  admire  himself  for 
being  born  in  Italy,  or  from  rich  parents,  or  for 
having  two  hands  or  two  feet,  as  for  liaving  received 
such  a  designation  extraordinary.  But  these  things 
are  never  instruments  ol  reputation  among  severe 


IIIE    VufAI'ioN    Of    riVL    J>iS(  lI'l.KiS.  13 

u!i(lei>.taii(lin<4s,  ami  nt'ver  but  in  the  sottish  and 
iir.iiKuily  :ip|»rili(jnsl<)iis  ol'  the  vulL,Mr.  Only  this, 
wiifU  Cioil  iialh  in)i)iinle(i  an  authority  upon  a  per- 
son, although  the  man  halh  nothing  to  please  him- 
self M  ithal  but  God's  grace,  yet  others  are  to  pay  the 
duty  which  that  impression  demands  :  which  duty, 
because  it  rapports  to  God,  and  touches  not  the 
man,  but  as  it  passes  through  him  to  the  fountain 
of  authority  and  grace,  it  extinguishes  all  pretences 
of  opinion  and  pride. 

6.  When  Jesus  espied  Nathanael  (who  also  had 
been  called  by  the  first  disciples)  coming  towards 
liim,  he  gave  him  an  excellent  character,  calling 
him  '  a  true  Israelite,  in  whom  was  no  guile,'  and 
admitted  him  amongst  the  first  disciples  of  the  insti- 
tution :  by  this  ci)aracter  in  one  of  the  first  of  his 
scholars  liallowing  simplicity  of  spiiit,  and  re- 
ceiving it  into  his  discipline,  thai  it  might  now  be- 
come a  virtue  and  duty  evangelical.  For  although 
it  concerns  us  as  a  Cluistian  duty  to  be  prudent, 
yet  the  prudence  of  Ciiristianity  is  a  duty  of  s|)iri- 
tual  efi'ect,  and  in  instances  of  religion  with  no 
other  purposes  tlian  to  avoid  giving  oft'ence  to  those 
that  are  w  ithout  and  within  ;  that  we  cause  no  dis- 
reputation to  Christianity  ;  that  we  do  nothing  that 
may  encourage  enemies  to  religion  ;  and  that  those 
thut  are  within  the  communion  and  obedience  of 
the  church,  may  not  sutler  as  great  inconveniences 
by  the  indiscreet  conduct  of  religious  actions,  as  by 
direct  temptations  to  a  sin.  These  are  the  pur- 
poses of  j)rivate  prudence,  to  which  in  a  greater 
measure,  and  upon  more  variety  of  rules  the  go- 
vernors of  churches  are  obligecl.  But  that  which 
Christian  simplicity  j)rohibils  is,  the  mixing  arts 
und   unhandsome   means   for  the   purchase  of  our 


\\  COM«IDr.UATIONS    ON 

ends;  witly  coun?els  tlitit  are  underminings  of  our 
neighbour,  destroying' liis  just  interest  to  serve  our 
own,  stratagems  to  deceive,  infinite  and  insignifi- 
cant answers  with  fraudulent  design,  unjust  and 
unlawful  concealment  of  our  purposes,  fallacious 
promises  and  false  pretences,  flaltery,  and  unjust 
and  unreasonable  praise,  saying  one  thing  and 
meaning  the  contrary,  pretending  religion  to  secu- 
lar designs,  breaking  faith,  taking  false  oaths,  and 
such  other  instruments  of  human  purposes  framed 
by  the  devil,  and  sent  into  the  world  to  he  perfected 
by  man.  Christian  simplicity  speaks  nothing  but 
its  thoughts;  and  when  it  concerns  prudence  that  a 
thought  or  purpose  should  be  concealed,  it  con- 
cerns simplicity  that  silence  be  its  cover,  and  not  a 
false  vizor;  it  rather  suffers  inconvenience  than  a 
lie:  it  destroys  no  man's  right,  tiiough  it  be  incon- 
sistent with  my  advantages  ;  it  reproves  freely,  pal- 
liates no  man's  wickedness  ;  it  intends  what  it  ought, 
and  does  what  is  bidden,  and  uses  courses  regular 
and  just,  sneaks  not  in  corners,  and  walks  always 
in  the  eye  of  Cod,  and  the  face  of  the  world. 

7.  Jesus  told  Nathanael  that  he  knew  him,  when 
he  saw  him  under  the  fig-tree:  and  Nathanael 
took  that  to  be  proliation  sufficient  that  he  was  the 
Messias ;  and  believed  rightly  upon  an  insufficient 
motive.  Wiiich  because  Jesus  did  accept,  it  gives 
testimony  to  us,  tiiat  however  faith  lae  produced, 
by  means  regular  or  by  arguments  incompetent, 
whether  it  be  proved  or  not  proved,  whether  by 
chance  or  deliberation,  whether  wisely  or  by  occa- 
sion, so  that  faith  be  produced  by  the  instrument, 
and  love  by  faith,  Cod's  work  is  done,  and  so  is 
ours.  For  if  St.  Paul  rejoiced  that  Christ  was 
preached,  though  by  the  envy  of  peevish  persons. 


rUF.    VOCATION    OF    FIVE    niSJCIPLF.S,  15 

certainly  God  will  not  reject  an  excellent  ])rocUict 
because  it  came  from  a  weak  and  sickly  parent. 
And  lie  that  brings  good  out  of  evil,  and  rejoices 
in  that  good,  having  first  triumphed  upon  the  evil, 
vill  certainly  take  delight  in  the  faith  of  the  most 
ignorant  persons,  which  his  own  grace  hath  pro- 
duced out  of  innocent,  though  insufficient,  begin- 
nings. It  was  folly  in  Naaman  to  refuse  to  be 
cured,  because  he  was  to  recover  only  by  washing 
in  Jordan.  The  more  incompetent  the  means  is, 
the  greater  is  the  glory  of  God,  who  hath  produced 
waters  from  a  rock,  and  fire  from  the  collision  of 
a  sponge  and  wool:  and  it  is  certain  the  end,  un- 
less it  be  in  products  merely  natural,  does  not 
take  its  estimate  and  degrees  from  the  external 
means.  Grace  docs  miracles,  and  the  productions 
of  the  Spirit,  in  respect  of  its  instruments,  are  equi- 
vocal, extraordinary,  and  supernatural ;  and  igno- 
rant persons  believe  as  strongly,  though  they  know 
not  why,  nnd  love  God  as  heartily  as  greater  spi- 
rits and  more  excellent  understandings:  and  when 
God  pleases,  or  if  he  sees  it  expedient,  he  will  do 
to  others  as  to  Nathanael,  give  them  greater  argu- 
ments and  Ijetter  instruments  for  the  confirmation 
and  heightening  of  their  faith,  tlian  they  had  for 
the  first  production. 

8.  \Vhen  Jesus  had  chosen  these  fnw  discij)les 
to  be  witnesses  of  succeeding  accidents,  every  one 
of  which  was  to  be  a  probation  of  his  mission  and 
divinity,  he  entered  into  the  theatre  of  the  world  at 
a  marriage-feast,  which  he  now  first  hallowed  to  a 
sacramental  signification,  and  made  to  become 
mysterious.  He  now  began  to  choose  his  spouse 
out  from  the  communities  of  the  world,  and  did 
mean  to  endear  her  by  unions  ineffable  and  glori« 


IG  CONSIDr.K  VTIONS    ON 

ous,  and  conisign  the  sacrament  by  liis  blood,  wliich 
he  first  gave  in  a  secret  rejMesentment,  and  after- 
wards in  letter  and  apparent  eftusion.  And  although 
the  holy  Jesus  did  in  his  own  person  consecrate 
celibacy,  and  abstinence  and  chastity  in  his  mo- 
ther's; yet  by  his  presence  he  also  hallowed  mar- 
riage, and  made  it  honourable,  not  only  in  civil 
accounts  and  rites  of  heraldry,  but  in  a  spiritual 
sense,  he  having-  new  sublimed  it,  by  making-  it  a 
sacramental  representment  of  the  union  of  Christ 
and  his  spouse,  the  church.  And  all  married  per- 
sons should  do  well  to  remember  what  tlie  conju- 
gal society  does  represent,  and  not  break  the  ma- 
trimonial bond,  which  is  a  mysterious  ligament  of 
Christ  and  his  church  ;  for  whoever  dissolves  the 
sacredness  of  the  mystery,  and  unhallovvs  the  vow 
by  violence  and  impurity,  he  dissolves  his  relation 
to  Clirist.  To  break  faith  with  a  wife  or  husband 
is  a  divorce  from  Jesus,  and  that  is  a  separation 
from  all  possibilities  of  i'elicity.  In  the  time  of  the 
Mosaical  statutes,  to  violate  marriage  was  to  do 
injustice  and  dishonour,  and  a  breach  to  the  sanc- 
tions of  nature,  or  the  (irst  constitutions:  but  two 
bands  more  are  added  in  the  gospel,  to  make  mar- 
riage more  sacred.  For  now  our  bodies  are  made 
'  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'  and  the  rite  of  mar- 
riage is  made  significant  and  sacramental,  and 
every  act  of  adultery  is  profanation  and  irreligion  ; 
it  desecrates  a  temple,  and  deflours  a  myster)'. 

9.  The  married  pair  w  ere  holy,  but  poor,  and 
they  wanted  w  ine ;  and  the  blessed  virgin-mother, 
pitying  the  affront  of  the  young  man,  complained 
to  Jesus  of  the  w  ant ;  and  Jesus  gave  her  an  an- 
swer which  promised  no  satisfaction  to  her  pur- 
poses.    For  now  that  Jt-sus  had  lived  thirty  years, 


TUi:    MUST    MIKACLi:.  j7 

and  (lone  in  jierson  notliinp^  answerable  to  his  glori- 
ous birth,  and  tiie  miraculous  accidenis  of  his  per- 
son, she  lon^fed  till  the  time  came  in  w  Inch  he  was 
to  manifest  himself  by  actions  as  miraculous  as  the 
star  of  his  birth.  She  knew,  b}'^  the  rejecting'  of  his 
trade,  and  his  going  abroad,  and  probably  by  his 
own  discourse  to  her,  that  the  time  was  near;  and 
the  forwardness  of  her  love  and  holy  desires  possi- 
bly niiglit  go  some  minutes  before  his  own  j)recise 
limit.  However,  Jesus  answered  to  this  purpose,  to 
show  that  the  work  he  was  to  do  was  done  not  to 
satisfy  her  importunity,  which  is  not  occasion 
enough  ior  a  miracle,  but  to  prosecute  the  great 
work  of  divine  designation:  for  in  works  spiritual 
and  religious  all  exterior  relation  ceases.  The 
world's  order,  and  the  manner  of  our  nature,  and 
the  infirmities  of  our  person,  have  produced  so- 
cieties, and  they  have  been  the  parents  of  relation  ; 
and  God  hath  tied  them  fast  by  the  knots  of  duty, 
and  made  the  duty  the  occasion  and  opportunities 
of  reward  :  but  in  actions  spiritual,  in  which  we 
relate  to  God,  our  relations  are  founded  upon  the 
spirit;  and  therefore  we  must  do  our  duties  upon 
considerations  sej)arate  and  spiritual,  but  never 
suffer  temporal  relations  to  impede  our  religious 
duties.  Christian  charity  is  a  higher  thing  than  to 
be  confined  within  the  terms  of  dependence  and 
correlation  ;  and  those  endearments  w  hicli  leagues, 
or  nature,  or  society  have  made,  pass  into  spiritual, 
and,  like  stars  in  the  presence  of  the  sini,  appear 
not  when  the  heights  of  the  sjnrit  are  in  place.' 
Where  duty  liath  prepared  special  instances,  there 
we    must,  lor   religion's  sake,  promote  thenj  ;  but 

'   Si'yyti'iia   yaf>  oiictio-fna   »'/  ttooc  tiKctiO'Tvyiiv  K)   Tvarrav 
aWtp'  aoiT))]'  (>//(\(ff.     Philo.  in  cxposit.  general, 
vol..    II.  2 


18  c'JN^iJd'.iMrioNs  ON 

even  to  our  jjarents  or  our  children  the  charities  of 
religion  ought  to  be  greater  than  the  air'eclions  of 
society.  And  though  we  are  bound  in  all  offices 
exterior  to  prefer  our  relatives  before  others,  be- 
cause that  is  made  a  duty ;  yet  to  purposes  spi- 
ritual, all  j)ersons  eminently  holy  put  on  the  effi- 
cacy of  the  same  relations,  and  pass  a  duty  upon 
us  of  religious  affections. 

lO.  At  the  command  of  Jesus  the  water-pots 
were  filled  with  water,  and  the  water  was  by  his 
divine  power  turned  into  wine;  where  the  dif- 
ferent economy  of  God  and  the  world  is  higlily 
observable  :  '  Hvery  man  sets  forth  good  wine  at 
first,  and  then  the  woise  ;"  but  God  not  only  turns 
the  water  into  wine,  but  into  such  wine  tiuit  the 
last  draugiit  is  most  pleasant.  The  world  presents 
us  with  fair  language,  {)romising  hopes,  convenient 
i'orlunes,  pompous  honours;  and  these  are  the 
outsides  of  tlse  bole:  but  when  it  is  swallowed, 
these  dissolve  in  tlie  instant,  and  there  remains 
bitterness,  and  the  malignity  of  coloquintida. 
PiVery  sin  smiles  in  the  first  address,  and  carries 
light  in  the  face,  and  honey  in  the  lip  ;  but  '  wiien 
we  have  ^ell  drunk,  then  conies  that  which  is 
worse;'  a  whip  with  six  strings,  fears  and  terrors  of 
conscience,  and  shame  and  displeasure,  and  a  cai- 
tive  disposition,  and  diffidence  in  the  day  of  death. 
jjiit  when,  after  the  manner  of  the  purifying  of 
the  Christians,  we  fill  our  water-pots  with  water, 
watering  our  couch  with  our  tears,  and  moistening 
(lur  cheeks  with  the  perpetual  distillations  of  re- 
pentance, then  Christ  turns  our  water  into  wine: 
iir>t  [)enitcuts,  and  then  communicants;  first 
waters  of  sorrow,  and  then  the  wine  of  the  chalice; 
first  ihr  jiislifi cation   of   correction    and  then  the 


rr.i:  niisr  miracle.  ill 

Baiictificalions  of  the  siicrameiit,  ami  the  tOeots  of 
the  divine  power,  joy,  and  peace,  and  serenity, 
hopes  full  of  confidence,  and  confidence  uitiiout 
shame,  and  boldness  without  presumption.  For 
Jesus  *  keeps  the  be*;t  wine  till  the  last ;'  not  only 
because  of  the  direct  reservations  of  the  highest 
joys  till  the  nearer  approaches  of  ^lory;  but  also 
because  our  relishes  are  higher  after  along  fruition 
than  at  the  first  essays:  such  being  the  nature  of 
grace,  that  it  increases  in  relish  as  it  does  in  fru- 
ition, every  part  of  grace  being  new  duty  and  new 
reward. 


THE  PRAYKR. 

O  etenial  and  ever-blessed  .Jesu,  who  didst  choose  discijiles  to  ?je 
witnesses  of  thy  life  and  miracles,  so  adopting  man  into  a  parti- 
cipation of  thy  great  employment  of  bringing  us  to  heaven  by 
the  means  of  a  holy  doctrine,  be  pleased  to  give  me  thy  grace, 
that  I  may  love  and  revere  their  persons  whom  tliou  hast  set  over 
me,  aid  follow  their  faith,  and  imitate  their  lives,  while  they 
imitate  thee  ;  and  that  I  alsM,  in  my  capacity  and  proportion,  may 
do  some  of  the  meaner  offices  of  spiritual  building,  by  prayers, 
and  by  holy  discourses,  and  fraternal  correpticn,  and  friendly 
exhortations,  doing  advantages  to  such  souls  witli  whom  I  shall 
converse.  And  since  thou  wert  pleased  to  enter  upon  the  stage 
of  the  world  with  tlie  connncncement  of  mercy  and  a  miracle,  be 
pleased  to  visit  my  soul  with  thy  miraculous  grace,  turn  mjr 
water  into  wine,  my  natural  desires  into  supernatural  perfections, 
and  let  my  sorrows  be  turned  into  joys,  my  sir.s  into  virtuous 
habits,  the  weaknesses  of  humanity  into  communications  of  the 
divine  nature ;  that  since  thou  keepest  the  best  unto  the  last,  I 
may,  by  thy  assistance,  grow  from  grace  to  grace,  till  thy  gifts  be 
lunied  to  reward,  and  thy  graces  to  participation  of  thy  glory,  O 
eternal  and  ever-blessed  Jesu.     Amen. 


20  ot   IAHH. 

DISCOURSE  VII. 

Of  FaillK 

1.  Natiianael's  faith  was  produced  by  an  ar- 
gument not  demonstrative,  not  certainly  conclud- 
m^\  Christ  knew  him  when  he  saw  him  first,  and 
he  believed  him  to  be  tlie  Messias.  His  faith  was 
excellent,  whatever  the  argument  was.  And  I  be- 
lieve a  God,  because  the  sun  is  a  glorious  body ;  or 
because  of  the  vr,riety  of  plants,  or  the  fabric  and 
rare  contexture  of  a  man's  eye :  I  may  as  full}'  as- 
sent to  the  conclusion,  as  if  my  belief  dwelt  upon 
the  demonstrations  made  by  the  prince  of  philoso- 
■  hers  in  the  eight  of  his  physics  and  twelve  of  his 
metaphysics.  This  I  premise  as  an  inlet  into  the 
consideration  concerning  the  faith  of  ignorant  per- 
sons: for  if  we  consider  upon  what  easy  terms 
most  of  us  now  are  Christians,  we  may  possibly 
suspect  that  either  faith  hath  but  little  excellence 
in  it,  or  we  but  little  faith,  or  that  we  are  mistaken 
generally  in  its  definition.  For  we  are  born  of 
Christian  parents,  made  Christians  at  teti  days 
old,  interrogated  concerning  the  articles  of  our 
faitli  by  way  of  anticipation,  even  then  when  we 
understand  not  tlie  difference  between  the  sun  and 
a  tallow-candle  :  from  thence  we  are  taught  to  say 
our  catechism,  as  we  are  taught  to  speak,  when  we 
have  no  reason  to  judge,  no  discourse  to  discern, 
no  arg-uments  to  contest  against  a  proposition,  in 
case  we  be  catechized  into  false  doctrine  ;  and  all 
that  is  put  to  us  we  believe  infinitely,  and  without 
choice,  as  children  use  not  to  choose  their  lan- 
jiuage.  And  as  our  children  are  made  Christians, 
just  so  are  thousand  others  made  Maliomclans,  with 


or  r.UTH  21 

llie  same  neces.sily,  llie  same  facility.  So  that  llius 
far  there  is  little  thanks  due  to  us  for  believing  the 
Christian  creed  :  it  was  iiiditiercnt  to  lis  at  first,  and 
at  last  our  education  had  so  possessed  us,  and  our 
interest,  and  our  no  teni|itation  to  the  contrary, 
that  as  we  were  disposed  into  this  condition  by 
Providence,  so  we  remain  in  it  without  praise  or 
f  xcellency.  For  as  our  beginnings  are  inevitable, 
so  our  progress  is  imperfect  and  insufficient;  and 
what  we  begun  by  education,  we  retain  only  by 
custom.  x\nd  if  we  be  instructed  in  some  slighter 
arguments  to  maintain  the  sect  or  faction  of  our 
country  religion,  as  it  disturbs  the  unity  of  Chris- 
tendom ;  yet  if  we  examine  and  consider  the  ac- 
count upon  what  slight  arguments  we  have  taken 
up  Christianity  itself",  (as  that  it  is  tlie  religion 
of  our  country,  or  that  our  fathers  before  us  were 
of  the  same  faith,  or  because  the  priest  bids  us, 
and  he  is  a  good  man,  or  for  something  else,  but 
we  know  not  what,)  we  must  needs  conclude  it  the 
good  providence  of  God,  not  our  choice,  that  made 
us  Christians. 

'2.  iJutifthe  question  be,  whether  such  a  faith 
be  in  itself  good  and  acceptable,  that  relies  upon 
insufficient  and  unconvincing  grounds;  I  suppose 
this  case  of  Natlianael  will  determine  us:  and 
when  we  consider  that  faith  is  an  inlosed  grace,  if 
(iod  pleases  to  behold  his  own  glovy  in  our  weak- 
ness of  understanding,  it  is  but  the  same  thing  he 
cloes  in  the  instances  of  his  otlier  graces.  For  as 
(iod  enkindles  charity  upon  variety  of  means  and 
instruments,  by  a  thouglit,  by  a  chance,  by  a  text 
of  Scripture,  by  a  natural  tenderness,  by  the  sight 
of  u  dying  or  a  tormented  beast;  so  also  he  may 


22  OF    FAITII. 

produce  faith  by  arguments  of  a  different  quality, 
and  by  issues  of  his  providence  he  may  engage  us 
in  such  conditions,  in  which  as  our  understanding 
is  not  great  enough  to  choose  the  best,  so  neither  is 
it  furnished  with  powers  to  reject  any  proposition; 
and  to  believe  well  is  an  effect  of  a  singular  pre- 
destination, and  is  a  gift  in  order  to  a  grace,  as 
that  grace  is  in  order  to  salvation.  But  tlie  in- 
sufficiency of  an  argument  or  disability  to  prove 
our  religion  is  so  far  from  disabling  the  goodness 
of  an  ignorant  man's  faith,  that  as  it  may  be  as 
Strong  as  the  faith  of  the  greatest  scholar,  sc  it 
hath  full  as  much  excellency,  not  of  nature,  but,  in 
order  to  divine  acceptance.  For  as  he  who  be- 
lieves only  upon  the  stock  of  education  made  no 
election  of  his  faith  ;  so  he  who  believes  what  is 
demonstrably  proved,  is  forced  by  the  demonstra- 
tion to  his  choice.  Neither  of  them  did  choose, 
and  both  of  them  may  equally  love  the  article. 

3.  So  that,  since  a  small  argument  in  a  weak 
understanding  does  the  same  work  that  a  strong 
argument  in  a  more  sober  and  learned,  that  is,  it 
convinces  and  makes  faith,  and  yet  neither  of  them 
is  matter  of  choice;  if  the  thing  believed  be  good, 
and  matter  of  duty  or  necessity,  the  faith  is  not 
rejected  by  God  upon  the  weakness  of  the  first, 
r  .r  accepted  upon  the  strength,  of  the  latter  prin- 
ciples. When  we  are  once  in,  it  will  not  be  en- 
qviired  by  what  entrance  we  passed  thither:  whe- 
ther God  leads  us  or  drives  us  in,  whether  we 
come  by  discourse  or  by  inspiration,  by  tlie  guide 
of  an  angel  or  the  conduct  of  Moses,  whether  vv.be 
born  or  made  Christians,  it  is  indifferent,  so  we  be 
there  where  we  should  be  ;  for  this  is  but  the  gate  of 


OF    FAITH.  23 

duty,  and  the  entrance  to  felicity.  For  thus  far  faith 
is  but  an  act  of  the  understanding',  which  is  a  natu- 
ral faculty,  servinjT  indeed  as  an  instrument  to  [god- 
liness, but  of  itself  no  part  of  it ;  and  it  is  just  like 
fire,  producintjits  act  inevitably, and  burning-  as  long 
as  it  can,  without  power  to  interrupt  or  suspend  its 
action;  and  therefore  we  cannot  be  more  pleasing 
to  God  for  understanding  riglitly,  than  the  fire  is 
for  burning  clearly:  which  puts  us  evidently 
upon  this  consideration,  tiiat  Christian  faith,  that 
glorious  duty  which  gives  to  Christians  a  great  de- 
gree of  approximation  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ, 
must  have  a  great  proportion  of  that  ingredient 
which  makes  actions  good  or  bad;  that  is,  of  choice 
and  effect. 

4.  For  the  faith  of  a  Christian  hath  more  in  it  of 
the  will  than  of  the  understanding.  Faith  is  that 
{jreat  mark  of  distinction  which  separates  and  gives 
Ibrmality  to  the  covenant  of  the  gospel,  which  is 
a  law  of  faith.  Tlie  faith  of  a  Christian  is  his  re- 
ligion ;  that  is,  it  is  that  whole  conformity  to  the 
institution  or  dicipline  of  Jesus  Christ  whicli  dis- 
tinguishes him  from  the  believers  of  false  religions. 
And  to  be  one  of  the  faithful  signifies  the  same 
with  being  a  disciple;  and  that  contains  obedi- 
ence as  well  as  believing:  for  to  tlie  same  sense 
are  all  those  appellatives  in  Scripture;  'the  faithful, 
brethren,  believers,  the  saints,  disciples;'  all  re- 
presenting the  duty  of  a  Christian.  A  believer 
and  a  saint,  or  a  holy  person,  is  the  same  thing : 
brethren  signifies  charity,  and  believers,  faith  in 
the  intellectual  sense:  the  faithful  and  disciples 
signify  both  ;  for  besides  the  consent  to  the  propo- 
sition, the  first  of  them  is  also  used  for  perseve- 
rant'c   and   sanctity,    and    the    greatest   of  charity 


2\  or    FAITH. 

inixed  will)  a  confident  faith,  up  to  llie  height  ofniar- 
tyrdom.  '  Be  fiiithfLil  unto  the  death,'  said  tlie  Holy 
Spirit, '  and  I  will  give  thee  the  crown  of'life.' '  And 
when  the  apostles,  by  way  of  abbreviation,  ex|)ress 
all  the  body  of  Christian  reli<^ion,  they  call  it 
'  faith  worling  by  love  ;"^  which  also  St.  Paul,  in  a 
parallel  place,  calls  'a  new  creature:'^  it  i>  *  a 
keepint^  the  commandments  of  God.'*  That  is 
the  faith  of  a  Christian,  into  whose  definition  cha- 
rity is  ingredient,  whose  sense  is  the  same  with 
keeping  of  God's  commandments  :  so  that  if  we  de- 
fine faith,  we  must  first  distinguish  it.  The  faith 
of  a  natural  person,  or  the  faith  of  devils,  is  a  mere 
believing  a  certain  number  of  propositions  upon  :i 
conviction  of  the  understanding;  but  the  faith  of  a 
Christian,  the  faith  that  justifies  and  saves  him,  is 
'  I'aith  working  by  charity,'  or  *  faith  keeping  the 
commandments  of  God.' '  They  are  distinct  faiths 
in  order  to  difterent  ends,  and  therefore  of  differ- 
ent constitution;  and  the  instrument  of  distinction 
is  charity  or  obedience. 

6.  And  this  great  truth  is  clear  in  the  perpetual 
testimony  of  holy  Scripture.  For  Abraham  is 
called  the  '  father  of  the  faithful;'  and  yet  our 
blessed  Saviour  told  the  Jews,  that  if  they  had 
been  '  the  sons  of  Abraham,  they  would  have  done 
tlie  work  of  Abraham;''  and  therefore  good  works 
are  by  the  apostle  called  the  '  footsteps  of  the  fuilh 
of  our  father  Abraham.'^  For  faith  in  every  of  its 
stages,  at  its  first  beginning,  at  its  increment,  at 
its  greatest  perfections,  is  a  duty  made  uj)  of  ihe 
concurrence    of  the    will    and    the  understanding, 

'  Rev.  ii.  10.  -^  Gal.  v.  G.  ^  lb.  vi.  15. 

♦  1  Cor.  vii.  m.  *  Gal.  v.  C.  "  John,  viii.  39. 

'  Rom.  iv.  12. 


OF    FAITH.  25 

wlicn  it  protends  to  the  divine  acceptance: — faith 
und   re|)cni;uico  hcijin  the  Christian  course.     '  lie- 
pent  and    believe  the   gospel'  was  the  sum  of  the 
apostles'    sermons;    and   all    the    way    after  it  is, 
'  liiith    workinfj    by  love.'      Repentance   puts   the 
first  s})irit  and  life  into  faith,  and  charity  preserves 
it,   and  fi^ives  it  nourishment  and  increase;    itself 
also  growing;   by   ;i   mutual  supply  of  spirits  and 
nutriment  from   faith.     Whoever  does  heartily  be- 
lieve a  resurrection  and  life  eternal  upon  certain 
conditions,  will  certainly  endeavour  to  acquire  the 
promises  by  the  purchase  of  obedience  and  obser- 
vation of  the  conditions  :  for  it  is  not  in  the  nature 
or  power  of  man  directly  to  despise  and  reject  so  in- 
finite a  ijood.     So  that  faith  supplies  charity  with 
argument  and   maintenance,   and  charity  supplies 
faith   witli  life  and   motion :    faith    makes  charity 
reasonable,    and    charity    makes    faith    living;  and 
effectual.     Jiud   therefore   the   old   Greeks   called 
faith  and  charity  "  a  miraculous  chariot,"'  or  yoke; 
they  bear  the  burden  of  tiie  Lord  wilh   an  equal 
confederation  :  these  are  like  Hippocrates*  twins, 
they  live  and    die    together.     Indeed  faith  is  the 
first-born  of  the  twins;  but  they  must  come  both 
at  a  birth,  or  else  they  die,   being-  strangled  at  the 
gates   of  the    womb.     But  if  charity,  like  Jacob, 
lays  hold  upon  his  elder  brother's  heel,  it  makes  a 
timely  and  a  prosperous  birth,  and  gives   certain 
title  to  the  eternal   promises.     For  let  us  give  the 
right  of  |)rimogeniture   to   faith,   yet  the  blessing, 
yea,  and   the  inheritance  too,  will    at  last  fall  to 
charity.     Not  that   faith  is  di>inherited,  but  that 
charity  only  enters  into  the  possession.     The  na- 

'  Qavf-iaTi'iv  '(vvoiQioa, 


•26  OF  FAirii. 

ture  of  faith  passes  into  tlie  excellency  of  clia- 
ilty  before  they  can  be  rewarded  :  and  that  both 
may  have  their  estimate,  that  wjiich  justifies  and 
saves  us,  keeps  the  name  of  faith,  but  doth  not  do 
the  deed  till  it  hath  the  nature  of  charity.  For  to 
think  well,  or  to  have  a  g-ood  opinion,  or  an  excel- 
lent or  a  fortunate  understanding-,  entitles  us  not 
to  the  love  of  Cod,  and  the  consequent  inheritance ;' 
but  to  choose  the  ways  of  the  Spirit,  and  to  relin- 
quish the  paths  of  darkness,  this  is  the  way  of  the 
kingdom,  and  the  purpose  of  the  gospel,  and  the 
])roper  work  of  faith. 

6.  And  if  we  consider  upon  what  stock  faith 
itself  is  instrumental  and  o})erative  of  salvation,  we 
shall  find  it  is  in  itself  acceptable,  because  it  is  a 
duty  and  commanded  :  and  therefore  it  is  an  act  of 
obedience,  a  work  of  the  gospel,  a  submitting  the 
understanding,  a  denying  the  affections,  a  laying 
aside  all  interests, and  a  bringing  our  thoughts  under 
the  obedience  of  Christ.  This  the  apostle  calls 
'the  obedience  of  faith:'*  and  it  is  of  tlie  same 
condition  and  constitution  with  other  graces,  all 
which  equally  relate  to  Christ,  and  are  as  firm  in- 
struments of  union,  and  are  washed  by  the  blood 
of  Christ,  and  are  sanctified  by  his  deatii,  and  ap- 
j)reliend  him  in  their  capacity  and  degrees,  some 
higher  and  some  not  so  high.  But  hope  and  cha- 
rity apprehend  Christ  in  a  measure  and  propor- 
tion greater  than   failii,  when  it  distinguishes  from 

'  To  ayaOnt;  fiti'  ilvai  i'liiciij  ?/  KaKHC;,  6  Btbr  hk  ti>  rij  yrw- 
irn  iOijKi  yifojcncnfitinoi',  c'lWd  h'  tij  aioirti  Ttof  utpHfiii'MV. 
Just.  ]\I.  Kcsp.  r,d  ortliod. — "  God  does  not  regard  us  as  good  or 
evil  by  our  knowledge  of  things  to  be  known;  but  by  our 
ciioice  of  things  whidi  ought  to  be  chosen  "  hHv  Ktcicoc  i''yi«c 
■jrirfojCf  td}*;  TTdXircKff  in<j>Baoninriir.     Chry.   1.  1  de  Saccrd. 

^  lloui.  xvi.  2<i, 


OF  FA  nil.  27 

tliem.  So  that  if  i\M\  floes  the  work  of  Justifua- 
tion,  as  it  is  a  mere  relation  to  Christ,  then  so  also 
does  hope  and  charity  :  or  if  these  are  duties  and 
^ood  works,  so  also  is  failii.  And  tliey  all  bein;; 
alike  commanded  in  order  to  the  same  end,  and 
encoura;^ed  by  the  same  reward,  are  also  accepted 
upon  the  same  stock  ;  which  is,  that  they  are  acts 
of  obedience  and  relation  too:  they  obey  Christ, 
and  lay  hold  upon  Christ's  merits,  and  are  but  se- 
veral instances  of  the  great  duty  of  a  Christian, 
but  the  actions  of  several  faculties  of  the  new  crea- 
ture. But  because  faith  is  the  bep,innin<>-  ti^race, 
and  hath  influence  and  causality  in  tiie  production 
of  the  other,  therefore  all  the  other,  as  they  are 
united  in  duty,  are  also  united  in  their  title  and 
appellative  :  they  are  all  called  by  the  name  of 
faith,  because  they  are  parts  of  faith,  as  faith  is 
taken  in  the  larger  sense:  and  when  it  is  taken  in 
the  strictest  and  distinguishino"  sense,  they  are 
effects  and  proper  products  by  way  of  natural  ema- 
nation. 

7.  That  a  good  life  is  the  genuine  and  true-born 
issue  of  failh,  no  man  questions  that  knows  him- 
self the  disciple  of  the  holy  .Jesus  ;  but  that  obedi- 
ence is  the  same  thing  with  faith,'  and  that  all 
Christian  graces  are  parts  of  its  bulk  and  constitu- 
tion, is  also  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  (ihost,  and 
tiie  grammar  of  Scripture,  making  faith  and  obe- 
tlience  to   be  terms  coincident   and    expressive  of 

'  Fides  (autliore  (Ucerone)  est  finna  opinio,  et  est  fida  man- 
datoriini  exccutio.  Dicta  est  auteni  fides  (ut  ait  idem  Cicero  de 
Officiis);'!  fio,  quod  id  fieri  debeat  quod  dictuin  et  promissuni  est. 
— "  '  Faith,'  says  Cicero,  '  is  a  firm  opinion,  and  it  is  the  faitli- 
fiil  execution  of  conunands.  The  word,'  he  says,  in  his  Offices, 
'  is  derived  from  ./n',  to  become,  because  that  ought  to  be  done 
whicli  li:is  been  said  and  promised.' " 


28  or  lAiTH. 

each    otlier:    for   (ailli   is   not  a   sinfj;le    star,  but 
a  constellation,  a  diain  of  graces,   called  by   St. 
Paul  'the  power  of  God   unto  salvation   to  every 
believer;"  tliat  is,  faith  is  all  that  great  instrument 
by  wiiich  God  intends  to  bring'  us  to  heaven ;  and 
he  give  this  reason  :  '  In  the  gospel  the  righteous- 
ness of  God  is  revealed  from  faith  to  faith,'  for  *  it 
is  written,  the  just  shall  live  by  faith/    Which  dis- 
course makes  faith  to  be  a  course  of  sanctity  and 
holy  habits,  a  continuation  of  a  Christian's  duty, 
sucii  a  duty  as  not  only  giv3S  the  first  breach,  but 
by  which  a  man  lives  tlie  life  of  grace.     'The  just 
shall  live  by  faith ;'  that  is,  such  a  faith  as  grows 
from  step  to  step,  till  the   whole  righteousness  of 
God  be  (ultilled  in  it.     'From  faith  to  faith,'  saith 
the   apostle;    which    St.    Austin   expounds,    from 
faith    l)elieving,   to  faith  obeying;  i'rom  imperfect 
faith,  to   faith   made  perfect  by   the  animation  of 
charity  ;  'that  he  who  is  justified  may  be  justified 
still.' "^     For  as  there  are  several  degrees  and  parts  of 
justification,  so  there  are  several  degrees  of  faith 
answerable  to  it;  that  in  all  senses  it  may  be  true, 
that 'by  faith  we   are  justified,'  and   'by  faith  we 
live,'  and  '  by  faith  we  are  saved.'     For  if  we  pro- 
ceed '  from  faith  to  faith,'  from  believing  to  obey- 
ing, from  fixith  in  the  understanding  to  faith  in  the 
will,  from  faith  barely  assenting  to  the  revelations 
of  God    to   faith    obeying  the  commandments   of 
God,  from  the  body  of  faith  to  the  soul  of  faith  ; 
that  is,  to  faith  formed  and  made  alive  by  charity  ; 
then  we  shall  proceed  from  justification  to  justifica- 

'  Rom.  i.  IG,  17. 

'  Ex  fide  annunciantium  evangelium  in  lidcm  obedieiitiuni 
evangelio.  S.  Aug.  — "  From  the  faith  of  those  announcing  the 
gospel  to  the  faith  of  those  obeying  the  gospeL" 


OF    lAlTH.  29 

tion  ;  Ihal  is,  from  remission  of  sins  to  become  tlie 
Kons  of  God  ;  and  at  last  lo  an  actual  possession  of 
those  priories  to  wliicli  we  were  here  consigned  by 
the  fruits  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

8.  And  in  this  sense  the  holy  .Tesus  is  called  by 
the  apostle  '  tlie  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith.'' 
He  is  the  principle,  and  he  is  the  promoter;  he 
begins  our  faith  in  revelations,  and  perfects  it  in 
commandments;  he  leads  us  by  the  assent  of  our 
understandinu^,  and  finishes  the  work  of  his  grace 
by  a  iioly  life  :  which  8t.  Paul  there  exjiresses  by 
its  several  constituent  parts;  as,  'laying  aside 
every  weight  and  the  sin  that  so  easily  ijesets  us,'* 
and  '  running  witii  patience  the  race  that  is  set  be- 
fore us,  resisting  unto  blood,  striving  against  sin  :" 
for  in  these  things  Jesus  is  therefore  made  our  ex- 
ample, because  he  is  the  author  and  finisher  of 
our  faith  :  without  these  faith  is  imperfect.  But 
the  tiling  is  something  plainer  yet,  for  St.  .Tames 
sailh.that  faith  lives  not  but  by  charity;''  and  the  life 
or  essence  of  a  thing  is  certainly  the  better  part  of 
its  constitution,  as  the  soul  is  to  a  man.  And  it 
we  mark  the  manner  of  his  probation,  it  w  ill  come 
liome  to  the  main  j)oint;  for  he  proves  tliat 
Abraham's  faith  was  tlierefore  imputed  to  liim  for 
righteousness,  because  '  he  wiis  justified  by  \^  orl;s  :'* 
'  Was  not  Abraham  our  father  justified  by  works, 
when  he  offered  up  his  son?''  and  'the  Scrip- 
ture was  fulfilled,  saying,  Abraham  believed  (iod, 
and  it  was  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness;'^  for 
'  faith  wrougiit  with  his  works,  and  made  his  faith 
perfect.'    It  was  a  dead  and  imperfect  faith,  unless 

'   Hebrews,  xii.  2.         "  Ibid,  verse  I.  '   Il)!(1,  verse  4. 

•*  Jam.  ii.  20, -Jlj.  '   Itiid,  verse '2-2.        '' Ibid,  verse  23. 

'    Ibid,  verse  '22. 


30  OF    FAITH 

obedience  gave  it  being-,  and  all  its  integral  or 
essential  parts.  So  that  faith  and  charity,  in  the 
sense  of  a  Christian,  are  but  one  duty,  as  the  un- 
derstanding and  the  will  are  but  one  reasonable 
soul ;  only  they  produce  several  actions  in  order  to 
one  another,  which  are  but  divers  operations,  and 
the  same  spirit. 

9.  Thus  St.  Paul,  describing  the  faith  of  the 
Thessalonians,  calls  it  that  whereby  they  turned 
from  idols,  and  wherel)y  they  served  the  living 
God  :'  and  the  faith  of  the  patriarchs  believed  the 
world's  creation, received  the  promises,  did  miracles, 
wrought  righteousness,  and  did  and  suffered  so 
many  things  as  make  up  the  integrity  of  a  holy 
life.*  And  therefore  disobedience  and  unrighte- 
ousness is  called  want  of  faith  ;^  and  heresy,  which 
is  opposed  to  faitli,  is  a  work  of  the  flesh,''  because 
faith  itself  is  a  work  of  righteousness.  And  that  I 
may  enumerate  no  more  particulars,  the  thing  is 
so  known,  that  the  word  aireideia,^  which  in  pro- 
priety of  language  signifies  mispersuasion  or  in- 
fidelity, is  rendered  disobedience  ;  and  the  not  pro- 
viding for  our  families  is  an  act  of  infidelity  ;  i)y 
the  same  reason  and  analogy  that  obedience  or 
charity  and  a  holy  life  are  the  duties  of  a  Chris- 
tian, of  a  justifying  faith.  And  although,  in  the 
natural  or  philosophical  sense,  faith  and  charity 
are  distinct  habits;  yet  in  the  sense  of  a  Christian 
and  the  signification  of  duly  they  are  the  same: 
for  we  cannot  believe  aright,  as  believing  is  in  the 
commandment,  unless  we  live  aright;  for  our  faith 
is  put  upon  the  account  just  as  it  is  made  precious 

'   ]  Thc'js.  i.  8,  0.  '^  lleh.  xi.  per  totiini. 

3  Col.  iii.  6  ;  2  Thess.  iii.  2.  ••  (Jal.  v.  2(>. 

^  Epli.  ii.  2,  and  v.  G ;   1  Tim.  v.  U. 


OF  FAITH.  ai 

l»y  cliarily  ;  accordiiio"  to  that  rare  saying  of  St. 
Karlholoniow,  recorded  by  the  supposed  St.  Denys, 
'  Cluirity  is  the  j^reatest  and  the  least  theolo<ry." 
AU  our  faith,  tliat  is,  all  our  reliijion,  is  com- 
pleted in  the  duties  of  universal  charity:  as  our 
charity  or  our  manner  of  livin;if  is,  so  is  our  faitli. 
If  our  life  In;  unholy,  it  may  he  the  faith  of  devils, 
but  not  the  faith  of  Christians;  for  this  is  the  dif- 
ference:— 

10.  The  faith  of  the  devils  hath  more  of  the  un- 
derstandinsif  in  it,  the  failh  of  Christians  more  of  the 
will:  the  devils  in  their  faith  have  better  discourse, 
the  Christians  better  atfections  ;  they  in  their  faith 
have  better  arguments,  we  more  charity.  So  tliat 
charity  or  a  i;ood  life  is  so  necessary  an  ingredient 
in  the  definition  of  a  Christian's  liiith,  that  we 
have  nothing-  else  to  distinguish  it  from  the  faith  of 
devils;  and  we  need  no  trial  of  our  failh  but  the 
examination  of  our  lives.  If  you  '  keep  tiie  com- 
mantlments  of  God,'*  then  have  you  tlie  faith  of 
Jesus;  (tliey  are  immediate  in  St..Jolin's  expression;) 
but  if  you  be  *  importune  and  ungodly,'  you  are 
in  St.  Paul's  list,  amongst  them  that  have  no  faith.' 
Every  vice  that  rules  amongst  us,  and  sullies  tiie 
fair  beauty  of  our  souls,  is  a  conviction  of  infi- 
delity. 

1 1.  For  it  was  tlie  failh  of  Moses  that  made  him 
despise  the  riches  of  Egypt;  the  failh  of  Josliua, 
tiiat  made  him  valiant;  the  faith  of  Joseph,  that 
made  him  chaste ;  Abraiiam's  faith  made  him  obe- 
dient; St.  JMary  Magdalen's  faith  made  her  i)eni- 
tent ;  and  the  failh  of  St.  Paul  made  him  travel  so 

'    H    ciyd-ii    S'ioXoyi'a    ttoW;/    »;j    tXaviTt],    f.  1    de   Myst. 
Theol. 
*  Apoc.  xiv.  12.  ^  2  Thcss.  iii.  2. 


32  OF    F.UIU. 

far,  and  suffer  so  nuicli,  till  lie  became  a  prodigy 
both  of  zeal  and  patience.  Faitli  is  a  catholicon, 
and  cures  all  the  distemperatures  of  the  soul:  it 
'  overcomes  tlie  world/  '  saith  St.  John  ;  '  it  works 
riijhteousness,'*  saith  St.  Paul;  it  'purifies  the 
heart,' '  saith  St.  Peter ;  '  it  works  miracles,'  saith 
our  blessed  Saviour :  miracles  in  i^race  always,  as 
it  did  miracles  in  nature  at  its  first  publication. 
And  whatsoever  is  good,  if  it  be  a  grace,  it  is  an 
act  of  faith  ;  if  it  be  a  reward,  it  is  the  fruit  of 
faith.  So  that  as  all  the  actions  of  men  are  but  the 
productions  of  the  soul,  so  are  all  the  actions  of  the 
new  man  the  effects  of  faith  :  for  faith  is  the  life 
of  Christianity,  and  a  good  life  is  the  life  of  faith. 

12.  Upon  the  grounds  of  this  discourse  we  may 
understand  the  sense  of  that  question  of  our  blessed 
Saviour,  '  When  the  Son  of  man  comes,  shall  he 
find  faith  on  earth  ?'*  Truly  just  so  much  as  he 
finds  charity  and  holy  living,  and  no  more.  For 
then  only  we  can  be  confident  that  '  faith  is  not 
failed  from  among  the  children  of  men,'  when  we 
feel  the  heats  of  the  primitive  charity  return,  and 
the  calentures  of  the  first  old  devotion  are  renewed  ; 
when  it  shall  be  accounted  honourable  to  be  a 
servant  of  Christ,  and  a  shame  to  commit  a  sin: 
then,  and  then  only,  our  churches  shall  be  assem- 
blies of  the  faithful,  and  the  kingdoms  of  the  world 
Chi'istian  countries.  But  so  long  as  it  is  notorious 
that  we  have  made  Christian  religion  another  tliing 
than  what  the  lioly  Jesus  designed  it  to  be ;  when 
it  does  not  make  us  live  good  lives,  but  itself  is 
made  a  pretence  to  all  manner  of  impiety,  a  strata- 
gem  to   serve  ends,  the  ends  of  covetousness,  of 

•  1  John,  V.  4.  *  Ileb.  xi.  S.*}.  ^  Acts,  xv.  !). 

*  Luke,  xviii.  H. 


(IF  r  A I  111.  33 

anil'ltioii  and  n'vcii-^fc  ;  ulien  tlic  CliiisLiiin  oliaii'\ 
ends  in  killiiiii;  one  anotlicr  Cor  conscience-sake,  so 
that  liiitli  IS  made  to  cut  the  throat  of  charily,  and 
onr  faith  kills  more  tiian  our  charity  preserves; 
when  llie  i.uimility  of  a  C'iiristian  hath  indeed  a 
name  amont>st  us,  but  it  is  like  a  mute  person, 
talked  of  only,  while  ambition  and  rebellion,  pride 
and  scorn,  self-seeking-  and  proud  undertakin;;s, 
transact  most  of  the  ij;reat  a  flairs  of  Christendom  ; 
when  the  custody  olour  senses  is  to  no  other  ])ur- 
poses  but  t!iat  no  opportunity  of  pleasing'  tliem 
j.ass  away  ;  when  our  oatiis  are  like  the  fringes  of 
our  discourses,  {J^oing  round  about  them,  as  if  they 
were  ornaments  and  trimmings;  when  our  blas- 
phemies, profanation,  sacrilege,  and  irreligion 
are  become  scandalous  to  the  very  Turks  and 
Jews;  while  our  lusts  are  always  ha]>itual,  some- 
times unnatural,'  will  any  wise  man  think,  that 
we  believe  those  doctrines  of  humility  and  obedi- 
ence, of  chastity  and  charity,  of  temperance  and 
justice,  w  hich  the  Saviour  of  the  \\  orld  made  sacred 
by  his  sermon  and  examj)le,  or  indeed  any  thiufr 
he  either  said  or  did,  promised  or  threatened  ?  Fo 
is  it  possible,  a  man  with  his  wits  about  him,  anc 
believing  that  he  should  certainly  be  damned  (that 
is,  be  eternally  tormented  in  body  and  soul,  with 
torments  greater  than  can  be  in  this  world)  if  he 
be  a  swearer,  or  liar,  or  drunkard,  or  cheats  his 
neigi)l)our,  that  this  man  should  dare  to  do  these 
things,  to  which  the  temptations  are  so  small,  in 

'  To  cnriTtlv  ralQ  tVToXaig  Ik  r«  ttooc  ti)v  ticTrXijixtxru' 
iK}.i\v(T^(n  tUji'  ti'-oXwi'  yii'tTai.  St.  Chrysosl.  ad  Denietr. — 
"  Dibb'.licf  in  the  coniniandmeiUs  is  generally  the  consequence 
of  .1  resistance  to  the  couaii;uu'mcnl«." 


34  OF    KAITU. 

wliidi  Uie  tlt^lij^lit  is  inconsiderable,  and  tlie  satis- 
faction so  none  at  all. 

13.  We  see  by  tlie  experience  of  the  whole  world 
that  the  belief  of  an  honest  man  in  a  matter  of  a 
tem()oral  advautuoe  makes  us  do  actions  of  such 
dang^er  and  difficulty,  that  half  so  n)uch  industry 
unci  snfl'erance  would  ascertain  us  into  a  possession 
of  all  the  promises  evano^elical.  Now  let  any  man 
be  asked,  whether  he  had  rather  be  rich  or  be  saved, 
he  will  tell  you,  without  all  doubt,  heaven  is  tlie 
better  option  by  infinite  de^'rees  ;  for  it  cannot  be 
that  riches,  or  reveno;e,  or  lust  should  be  directly 
preferred,  that  is,  be  thought  more  elij^ible  than  the 
glories  of  immortality.  That  therefore  men  neg- 
lect so  ^Yuat  salvation,  and  so  greedily  run  after  the 
satisfaction  of  their  baser  apj)etites,  can  be  attri- 
buted to  nothing  but  want  of  faith  :  they  do  not 
heartily  believe  that  Heaven  is  wortii  so  much; 
there  is  upon  them  a  stupidity  of  spirit,  and  their 
faith  is  dull,  and  its  actions  suspended,  most 
commonly,  and  often  interrupted,  and  it  never 
enters  into  the  w  ill ;  so  that  the  propositions  are 
considered  nakedly  and  precisely  in  themselves, 
but  not  as  referring  to  us  or  our  interests  :  there  is 
nothing  of  faith  in  it,  but  so  much  as  is  the  first  and 
direct  act  of  understanding;  there  is  no  considera- 
tion nor  reflection  upon  the  act,  or  upon  the  per- 
son, or  upon  the  subject.  So  that  even  as  it  is 
seated  in  the  understanding,  our  fiiith  is  commonly 
lame,  mutilous,  and  imperfect;  and  therefore  much 
more  is  it  culpable,  because  it  is  destitute  of  all  co- 
operation of  the  rational  appetite. 

14.  But  let  us  consider  tlie  power  and  efficacy  of 
worldly  belief.  If  a  man  believes  that  there  is  gold 
tc  be  had  in  Peru  for  fetching,  or  pearls  or  rich 


OF  rvirn.  3.5 

jo\v«  \s  ill  Tiidiii  (or  the  excluiii'^o  of  trifles,  he  in- 
sian.ly,  if  lie  lie  in  cupacity,  leiives  the  wife  01  ins 
bosom,  and  the  pretty  (ie'.iirhts  of  children,  and  ins 
owr.  security,  and  ventures  into  the  dangers  of 
Maters  and  unknown  seas, and  freezina^s  and  calen- 
tires,  thirst  and  hunjjer,  pirates  and  shipwrecks, 
anfl  hath  witliin  him  a  principle  stronti-  enou'gh  to 
answer  all  olijections,  because  he  believes  that 
relies  are  desirable,  and  by  such  means  likely  to  be 
had.  Our  blessed  Saviour,  comparing- the  gospel 
to  '  a  merchant-man  that  I'ound  a  pearl  of  great 
price,  and  sold  all  to  buy  i'.,'  hath  brought  this  in- 
s-lance home  to  the  present  discourse:  for  if  we 
<lid  as  verily  believe  that  iu  heaven  those  great  feli- 
cities which  transcend  all  our  apjireliensions  are 
certainly  to  be  obtained  by  leaving  our  vices  and 
lower  desires,  what  can  liinder  us  l)ut  we  should  at 
least  do  as  much  for  obtaining  those  great  felicities 
as  for  the  lesser,  if  the  belief  were  equal  ?  For  if 
any  man  thinks  he  may  have  them  without  holiness 
and  justice  and  charity,  tlien  he  wants  faith  ;  for 
he  believes  not' the  saying  of  St.  Paul:  '  Follow 
peace  with  all  men,  and  holiness,  without  which  no 
man  shall  ever  see  God."  If  a  man  believes  learn- 
ing to  be  the  only  or  chiefest  ornament  and  beauty 
of  souls,  that  which  will  ennoble  him  to  a  fair  em- 
ployment in  his  own  time,  and  an  honourable  me- 
mory to  succeeding  ages;  this  if  he  believes  heartily, 
it  hath  j)ower  to  make  him  endure  catarrhs,  gouts, 
liypochon(hiacal  passions,  to  read  till  his  eyes 
almost  fix  in  tlieir  orbs,  to  despise  the  pleasures 
of  idleness  or  tedious  sjiorts,  and  to  undervalue 
whatsoever  does  not  co-operate  to  the  end  of  iiis 
fi.ith,  the  desire  of  learning.  \Vhy  is  the  Italian 
'  Heb.  xii.  14. 


3G  «>f  rvi  in. 

80  abstemious  in  his  driiikings,  or  the  Helvetian 
so  valiant  in  liis  flight,  or  so  true  to  the  prince  that 
employs  liim,  but  that  they  believe  it  to  be  noble  so 
to  be  ?  1\'  they  believed  the  same,  and  had  the 
same  honourable  thoughts  of  other  virtues,  they 
also  would  be  as  national  as  these  ;  for  faith  will 
do  its  proper  work.  And  when  the  understanding- 
is  peremptorily  and  fully  determined  upon  the  per- 
suasion of  a  proposition,  if  the  will  should  then  dis- 
sent and  choose  the  contrary,  it  were  unnatural  and 
monstrous,  and  possibly  no  man  ever  does  so :  for 
that  men  do  things  without  reason  and  against  their 
conscience,  is,  because  they  Isave  j)ut  out  their 
light,  and  discourse  their  wills  into  the  election  of  a 
sensible  good,  and  want  faith  to  btlieve  truly  all 
circumstances  which  are  necessary  by  way  of  pre- 
disposition for  choice  of  tlie  intellectual. 

15.  But  when  men's  faith  is  confident, their  resolu- 
tion and  actions  are  in  proportion.  For  thus  the  faith 
of  Mahometans  makes  them  to  abstain  from  «ine 
for  ever:  and  therefore,  if  we  had  the  Christian 
faith,  we  should  much  rather  abstain  from  drunken- 
ness forever;  it  being  an  express  rule  apostolical, 
*  Be  not  drunk  with  wine,  wherein  is  excess.'  '  The 
faith  of  the  Circumcellians  made  them  to  run 
greedily  to  violent  and  horrid  deaths  as  willingly  as 
to  a  crown  ;  for  they  thought  it  was  the  King's  high- 
way to  martyrdom.  And  there  was  never  any  man 
zealous  for  his  religion,  and  of  an  imperious  bohl 
faith,  but  he  was  also  willing  to  die  for  it;  and 
therefore  also,  by  as  much  reason,  to  live  in  it,  and 
to  be  a  strict  observer  of  its  prescriptions.  And  the 
stories  of  the  strict  sanctity,  and  prodigious  suffer- 
ings, and  severe  disciplines,  and  expensive  religion, 
'  Kphes.  V.  la. 


oi    I  AiiM.  37 

ftn<l  r(>nij)liunt  and  l-.iltdriuiis  rliarit}  >>C  lliC  primi- 
tive Cliiislians,  is  abundant  ait;nnient  to  convince 
us,  lliut  the  failli  oC  Christians  is  infinitely  more 
fruitful  and  i)rocluctive  of"  its  univocal  and  pro- 
per issues  than  the  faitli  oC  heretics,  or  the  false  re- 
Ii<;ions  of  misbelievers,  or  tiie  jjersuasions  of  secular 
jiersons,  or  tlie  s])irit  of  antichrii^t.  And  therefore, 
when  we  see  men  serving'  their  jjrince  >vith  such 
difficult  and  aml)itious  services,  because  they  be- 
lieve him  able  to  reward  them,  though  of  his  will 
they  are  not  so  certain,  and  yet  so  supinely  neg^li- 
ffent  and  incurious  of  tlieir  services  to  God, of  whose 
power  and  will  to  reward  us  infinitely  there  is  cer- 
tainty absolute  and  irrespective,  it  is  certain  ])ro- 
bation  tiiat  we  believe  it  not;  for  if  we  believe  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  heaven,  and  that  every  single 
man's  portion  of"  heaven  is  far  better  than  all  tiie 
wealth  in  the  world,  it  is  morally  impossible  we 
Bliould  j)refer  so  little  before  so  jireat  profit. 

1().  1  instance  but  once  more,  Tlie  faith  of  Abra- 
ham was  instanced  in  the  matter  of  confidence  or 
trust  in  the  divine  promises ;  and  lie  i)einsj;  the 
•  father  of  the  faithful,"  we  must  iniilate  his  faith  by 
a  clear  dereliction  of  ourselves  and  our  own  inte- 
rests, and  an  entire  confident  relyintj;  ui)on  the  di- 
vine loudness  in  all  cases  of"  our  needs  or  danoer. 
Now  this  also  is  a  trial  of  the  verity  of  our  faith, 
tlie  excellency  of  our  condition,  and  what  title  we 
have  to  the  glorious  names  of  Chris/iaiis,  ixndj'aith- 
/«/,  and  believen.  If  our  fathers,  when  we  were  in 
juijiilage  and  minority,  or  a  true  and  an  able  friend 
when  we  were  in  need,  had  made  promises  to  sup- 
ply our  necessities,  our  confidence  was  so  great  that 
our  care  determined.  It  were  also  well  that  we 
were  as  confident  of  Cod,   and   as  secure  of  the 


38  or   lAiTif. 

event,  ".shen  ue  liud  disposecl  ourselves  to  i-t'cej>lion 
of  the  blessing',  us  we  were  oi'our  (Viend  or  parents. 
We  all  profess  that  God  is  alniij^hty,  that  all  liis 
promises  are  certain;  and  yet,  when  it  conies  to  a 
pinch,  we  find  that  man  to  l)e  more  confident  that 
hath  ten  thousand  pounds  in  his  j)urse,  than  he 
that  reads  God's  promises  over  ten  thousand  times. 
"  Men  of  a  common  spirit,  (saith  St.  Chryscstom.) 
of  an  ordinary  sanctity,  will  not  steal,  or  kill,  or  lie, 
or  commit  adultery  ;  but  it  requires  a  rare  faith, and 
a  sublimity  of  pious  affections,  to  believe  that  God 
will  work  a  deliverance  which  to  me  seems  impos- 
sible.' And  indeed  St.  Chrysostom  hit  upon  the 
right.  He  had  need  be  a  good  man,  and  love  God 
well,  that  jmts  his  trust  in  him  :  for  those  we  love 
we  are  most  apt  to  trust.  And  althoush  trust  anil 
confidence  is  sometniics;  founded  upor;  experience, 
yet  It  is  also  begotten  and  increased  by  love,  as  often 
as  liy  reason  and  discourse.  And  to  this  purpose 
it  was  excellently  said  by  St.  Basil,  "  that  the 
knowledge  v\hicli  one  man  learneth  of  another  is 
made  perfect  by  continual  use  and  exercise  ;  but 
that  which  through  the  grace  of  CJod  is  ingrafted 
in  the  mind  of  man,  is  made  absolute  by  justice, 
gentleness,  and  charity."  So  that  if  you  are  willing 
even  in  death  not  only  to  confess  the  articles,  but 
in  affliction  and  death  to  trust  the  promises;  if  in 
the  lowest  nakedness  of  poverty  you  can  cherish 
yourselves  with  the  expectation  of  God's  promises 
and  dispensation,  being  as  confident  of  food  and 
raiment,  and  deliverance  or  support,  when  all  is  in 
God's  hand,  as  you  are  when  it  is  in  your  own  ;  if 
you  can  be  cheerful  in  a  storm,  smile  when  the 
world  frowns,  be  content  in  the  midst  of  spiritual 
desertions  and    anguish    of  spirit,   expecting    uii 


oi    r\ir!i.  39 

bIiouIiI  u  )rk  lot^i-tliLT  lor  tin;  best,  ac;-or<liML;'  l<t  llie 
promise;  il'you  o.ui  stienirllien  yourselves  in  God 
when  you  are  weakest,  believe  when  you  see  no 
l.opi!,  and  entertain  no  jealousies  or  suspicions  of 
CJod,  thouL,di  you  see  nothin>j  to  make  you  confi- 
dent;  then,  and  then  only  you  liave  faith,  w'.iich  in 
conjunction  with  its  other  parts  is  able  to  save  your 
Bouls.  For  in  this  precise  duty  of  truslin<if  God 
there  are  the  rays  of  hope,  and  <;reat  proportions  of 
charity  and  resii^nation. 

17.  The  sum  is  that  pious  and  most  Christian 
sentence  of  the  author  of  the  Ordinary  Gloss  :  "To 
l)elieve  in  God  throuLvh  Jesus  Christ  is,  by  believing 
to  love  him,  to  adhere  to  him,  to  be  united  to  him 
by  ciiarity  and  obedience,  and  to  be  incorporated 
into  Christ's  mystical  body  in  the  communion  of 
saints."  '  I  conclude  this  with  a  collection  of  cer- 
tain excellent  words  of  St.  Paul,  highly  to  the  pre- 
sent purpose  :  '  Examine  yourselves,  brethren, whe- 
ther ye  l)e  in  the  faith  ;  prove  your  own  selves.' 
^Vell,  but  how  ?  '  Know  you  not  your  own  selves 
how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be  re- 
j)robates?'*  There  is  the  touchstone  of  faitl).  If 
Jesus  Clu'ist  dwells  in  us,  then  we  are  true  be- 
lievers; if  he  does  not,  we  are  re[)robates,  we  have 
no  faith.  But  how  shall  we  know  whether  Christ 
be  in  us  or  not?  St.  Paul  tells  us  that  too:  '  If 
Christ  be  in  you,  the  body  is  dead,  by  reason  of 
sin  ;  but  the  Sj)irit  is  life,  because  of  righteous- 
ness.' ^     That  is  the  Ciiristian's  mark,  anil  the  cha- 

'  Credere  in  Deuni  est,  credendo  amare,  credendo  dili'jjere, 
credcndo  in  eum  ire,  et  nienibris  ejus  incorporari.  Gloss.  (Jrd. 
in  Horn.  iv. — "  To  believe  in  (iod  is  by  believing  to  love  him,  by 
believing  to  choose  him,  by  believing  to  go  to  him,  and  to  be  iii- 
corponiied  in  l>is  member;-." 

*  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  Horn.  viii.  \'J. 


40  OF    lAITH. 

racterlstic  of  a  true  believer  ;  a  '  death  unto  sin,'  and 
'a  liviriL,'- unto  righieousness ;' '  a  mortified  body/ 
and  '  a  quickened  spirit.'  This  is  phiin  enough, 
and  by  this  we  see  what  we  must  trust  to.  A  man 
of  a  wicked  life  does  in  vain  hope  to  be  saved  by 
his  faith  ;  for  indeed  his  faith  is  but  equivocal  and 
dead,  which  as  to  liis  purpose  is  just  none  at  all: 
and  therefore  let  him  no  more  deceive  himself; 
for  (that  I  may  still  use  the  words  of  St.  Paul) 
'  this  is  a  fuithlul  saying,  and  these  things  I  will 
that  thou  atlirni  constantly,  that  they  which  have 
believed  in  God  might  be  careful  to  maintain  good 
works:'  for  such,  and  such  only,  in  the  great 
scrutiny  for  failh  in  the  day  of  doom,  shall  have 
their  portion  in  tlie  bosom  of'  faithl'ul  Abrahani.' 


THE  PRAYER. 
I. 

()  eternal  God,  fountain  of  all  truth  and  holiness,  in  whom  to 
believe  is  life  eternal,  let  thy  grace  descend  wiih  a  mighty  power 
into  my  soul,  beating  down  every  strong  hold  and  vainer  ia;agi- 
nation,  and  bringing  every  proud  tliought  and  my  confident  and 
ignorant  understanding  into  the  obedience  of  Jesus.  Take  from 
me  all  disobedience  and  refractoriness  of  spirit,  all  ambition,  and 
private  and  baser  interests :  remove  from  me  all  prejudice  and 
Vireakness  of  persuasion ;  that  I  nuiy  wholly  resign  my  under- 
standing to  the  persuasions  of  Christianity,  acknowledging  thee  to 
be  the  principle  of  truth,  and  thy  word  the  measure  of  knowledge; 
and  thy  laws  the  rule  of  my  life,  and  thy  promises  tlie  satisfac- 
tion of  my  hopes,  and  an  union  with  thee  to  be  the  consunmia- 
tion  of  charity  in  the  fruition  of  glorj'.     Amen. 

'  Titus,  ill. 


OF    FAUH.  41 

II. 

Holy  Jcsiis,  mahc  nic  to  acknowledge  thee  to  be  my  liord  and 
Waster,  and  myself  a  servant -and  disciple  of  thy  holy  discipline 
and  institution :  let  nie  love  to  sit  at  thy  feet,  and  suck  in  v/ith 
my  ears  and  heart  the  sweetness  of  thy  holy  sermons.  Let  my 
soul  be  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace,  with  a 
peaceable  and  docile  disposition.  iii\e  mc  great  boldness  in  the 
public  confession  of  thy  name  and  the  truth  of  thy  gospel,  in  de- 
spite of  all  hostilities  and  teniptations.  And  grant  I  may 
always  remember  that  thy  name  is  called  upon  me,  and  I  may  so 
behave  myself,  that  I  neither  give  scandal  to  others,  nor  cause 
disreputation  to  the  honour  of  religion  ;  but  that  thou  mayest  be 
glorified  in  mc,  ai-.d  I  by  thy  mercies,  after  a  strict  observance  oil' 
all  thy  holy  laws  of  Christianity.     Amen. 

III. 

O  holy  and  ever-blessed  Spirit,  let  thy  gracious  influences  be 
the  perpetual  guide  of  my  rational  faculties.  Inspire  me  with 
wisdom  and  knowledge,  spiritual  understanding,  and  a  holy 
faith  ;  and  sanctify  my  faith,  that  it  may  rise  up  to  the  con- 
fidence of  hope,  and  the  adherences  of  charity,  and  be  fruitful  in 
a  holy  conversation.  Mortify  in  me  all  peevishness  and  pride  of 
spirit,  all  lieTctical  disj;ositions,  and  whatsoever  is  contrary  to 
sound  doctrine;  that  v;hen  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  the  author 
and  Mnisl'.er  of  our  faith,  shall  come  to  make  scrutiny  and  an  in- 
quest for  faiih,  I  may  receive  the  promise.i  laid  up  for  them  that 
believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  wait  for  his  c:imlng  in  holiness 
s.Md  purity  :  to  whom  with  the  Father  and  Thee,  ()  blessed 
lSj)irit,  be  ull  honour  and  eternal  adoration  paid,  with  all  saRCtitji 
aiid  joy  ai:d  ciicl-.arit'.,  now  luid  for  ever.     xVniSii. 


42 


SECTION  XL 

Cf  Christ's  going  to  Jerusalem  to  the  Passover  ike 
^first  time  after  his  Manifestation,  and  what  fol- 
lovied  till  the  e.vpiraliou  of  the  ojjice  of  John  the 
Baptist. 

1.  Immf.diatcly  after  this  miracle,  Jesus  abode 
a  few  days  in  Capernaum,  but  because  of  tlie  aj)- 
proach  of  the  great  feast  of  passover  he  ascended 
lo  Jerusalem.  And  the  first  public  act  of  record 
that  he  did  was,  an  act  of  lioly  zeal  and  relig'ion  in 
behalf  of  the  honour  of  the  temple.  For  divers 
merchants  and  exchangers  of  money  made  the 
tem|)le  to  be  the  market  and  the  bank,  and  lirouglit 
beasts  tliitner  to  be  sold  lor  sacrifice  ag;iinst  tne 
great  paschal  solemnity.  At  the  sight  of  whici), 
Jesus,  being  moved  vvitli  zeal  and  indignation, 
'  made  a  whip  of  cords,  and  drave  the  beasts  out  of 
the  temple,  overthrew  the  accounting  tables,  and 
commanded  them  that  sold  the  doves  to  take  them 
from  thence.'  For  his  anger  was  holy,  and  he 
would  mingle  no  injury  with  it;  and  therefore 
the  doves,  which  if  let  loose  would  be  detriinental 
to  the  owners,  he  caused  to  be  fairly  removed  : 
and  published  the  religion  of  holy  places,  estab- 
lishing their  sacredness  for  ever  by  his  first  gospel- 
sermon  that  he  made  at  Jerusalem.  'Take  these 
things  hence :  make  not  my  Father's  house  a  house 
of  merclumdise;'  for  '  it  shall  be  called  a  iiouse  of 
prayer  to  all  nations.'  And  being  required  to  give 
a  '  sign'  of  his  vocation,  (for  this,  being  an  action 
i;ke  tlie  religion  of  tiie  zealots  among  the  Jews,  if  it 
were  not  attested  by  something  extraordinary, 
nuglit  be  abused  into  an  excess  of  liberty,  he  only 


(iiiiisi    (..(iiN<;    r<)    nil.   I'v-sdviit.  43 

fontold  the  rt'siuroclion  of  liis  hody,  alier  three 
days'  death,  but  he  expressed  it  in  the  iiietii])hor  of 
the  temple:  '  Destroy  tliis  temple,  and  I  will  l)uild 
it  again  in  three  days.  He  spake  of  the  temple  of 
his  body,'  and  they  understood  him  of  the  temple 
of  Jerusalem:  and  it  was  never  ri»htly  construed, 
till  it  was  accomplished 

'2.  At  this  public  convention  of  the  Jewish  nation 
Jesus  did  many  miracles,  published  himselftobe  tiie 
Messias,  and  persuaded  many  disciples,  amongst 
whom  was  Nicodemus,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  and  a 
ruler  of  the  nation.  He  '  came  by  night  to  Jesus,' 
and  aHirmed  himself  to  be  convinced  by  the  mi- 
racles which  he  had  seen;  for  'no  man  could  do 
those  miracles,  except  God  be  with  him.'  When 
Jesus  perceived  his  understanding  to  be  so  far  dis- 
posed, he  began  to  instruct  him  in  the  great  secret 
and  mysteriousness  of  regeneration,  telling  him, 
•'  that  every  ])roduction  is  of  the  same  nature  and 
condition  with  its  parent,  '  from  flesh  comes  flesh' 
und  corruption,  '  from  the  Spirit  comes  spirit'  and 
lifL-  and  immortality  ;  and  nothing  from  a  principle 
of  nature  could  arrive  to  a  supernatural  end  ;  and 
therelbre  the  only  door  to  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God  was  'water,'  by  the  manuduction  of  'the 
Spirit;"  and  by  this  re;:eneralion  we  are  put  into  a 
new  capacity,  of  living  a  spiritual  life  in  order  to  a 
spiritual  anil  supernatural  end." 

I?.  This  was  strange  philosophy  to  Nicodemus; 
but  Jesus  bade  him  '  not  to  wonder;'  "  for  this  is  not 
a  work  of  humanity,  but  a  fruit  of  God's  Spirit,  and 
an  issue  of  pretlestinalion.  For  '  the  Spirit  bloweth 
where  it  linteth,'  and  is  as  the  wind,  certain  and 
notorious  in  the  effects,  but  secret  in  the  principle 
and  in  the  manner  of  production.     And   therelbre 


41  ruttisi-   i;i>i\(i    To    iHli    !'ASs(»vi;i!. 

tills  doctrine  was  not  to  be  estimated  hy  ;iny  pro- 
poilions  to  uatLiiiil  princijjles  or  experiments  of 
sense,  but  to  the  secrets  of  a  new  nietuphysic,  and 
abstracted,  separate  speculations.  Then  Christ 
proceeds  in  liis  sermon,  tellinjT;-  Iiim  there  are  yet 
higher  tilings  for  liim  to  apprehe  ul  and  believe; 
for  tins,  in  respect  of  some  other  mysteriousness  of 
of  his  gospel,  was  but  as  eartli  in  comparison  of 
heaven.  Tlien  he  tells  of  liis  own  descent  from 
heaven,  foretells  his  death  and  ascension,  and  tiie 
blessing-  of  redemption  wliicii  lie  came  to  work  (or 
manlcind  :  he  preaclies  of  tlie  love  of  liie  Fatlier, 
the  mission  of  tiie  Son,  the  rewards  of  faitli,  and 
llie  glories  of  eternity  :  lie  upbraids  the  unbelieving 
and  imjjenitent,  and  declares  the  differences  of  a 
holy  and  corrupt  conscience,  the  sliameand  fears  of 
the  one,  the  confidence  and  serenity  of  the  other." 
And  this  is  the  sum  of  his  sermon  to  Nicodemus, 
which  was  the  fullest  of  mystery  and  speculation 
and  abstracted  senses  of  any  tliat  he  ever  made, 
except  that  which  he  made  immediately  before 
his  passion ;  all  his  other  sermons  being  more 
practical. 

4.  From  Jerusalem  Jesus  goeth  into  the  country 
of  Judea,  attended  by  divers  discijiles,  whose  un- 
derstandings were  brought  into  subjection  and 
obedience  toChrist  upon  confidence  of  the  divinity 
of  his  miracles.  There  his  disciples  did  receive 
all  comers,  and  baptized  them,  (as  John  at  the 
same  time  did,)  aiul  by  that  ceremony  admitted 
them  to  the  discipline  and  institution  ;  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  doctors  and  great  prophets 
among  the  Jews, whose  baptizing  their  scholars  was 
the  ceremony  of  their  admission.  As  soon  as 
John  heard  it,   he  acquitted  himself  in   public  by 


CHRIST    GOING    TO     IIIE    PASSOVER.  4>5 

rene\vin|[f  liis  former  testimony  concerning  Jesus, 
afiirminL;  him  to  be  the  INIessias  ;  and  now  the 
time  was  come  that  Christ  must  increase,  and  the 
Baptist  suffer  diminution  :  '  for  Christ  came  from 
above,  was  above  all;'  and  the  sum  of  his  doctrine 
was,  '  that  whicli  he  had  hoard  and  seen'  from  the 
Father;  'whom  God  sent,'  to  tliat  purpose;  to 
whom  God  '  had  set  his  seal,  that  he  was  true;'  who 
•  spake  the  words  of  God  ;'  whom  the  '  Father  loved, 
to  whom  he  f;ave  the  Spirit  without  measure,  and 
into  whose  hands  God  had  delivered  all  thinp^s:* 
this  was  lie,  whose  *  testimony  the  world  received 
not.'  And  that  they  minht  know  not  only  what 
person  they  slighted,  but  how  tj^reat  salvation  also 
they  ne;i:lecteci,  he  sums  up  all  his  sermons  and 
finishes  his  mission  with  tliis  saying-,*  He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  hath  everlastini>-  life;  and  he 
that  believeth  not  on  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but 
the  wrath  of  God  al)ideth  on  him.'  ' 

5.  For  now  that  the  Baptist  had  fulfilled  his 
office  of  bearinfj^  witness  unto  Jesus,  (rod  was 
pleased  to  f^ive  him  his  writ  of  ease,  and  brm^  him 
to  his  reward  upon  this  occasion.  Jol>n,  who  had 
so  learned  to  despise  the  workl  and  all  its  exterior 
vanities  and  impertinent  relations,  did  his  duty 
justly,  and  so  without  respect  of  persons,  that  as  he 
rt^irovfd  the  peo])le  for  their  prevarications,  so  he 
spared  not  Ilerod  for  his,  but  abstaininj^  from  all 
expresses  of  the  spirit  of  scorn  and  asperity, 
minj^linjT  no  discontents,  interests,  nor  mutinous  in- 
timations with  his  sermons,  he  told  Herod  '  it  was 
not  lawful  for  hini  to  have  his  brother's  wife:* 
for  which  sermon  he  fell  the  furies  and  malice  of 

'  JohUj  iii.  '6G. 


46  chiunt  r,<)VN«  TO   I'lii';  passuver. 

a  woman's  spleen,  was  cast  into  prison,  and  abovit  a 
year  after  was  sacrificed  to  tlie  scorn  and  pride  of  a 
iustfid  woman  and  her  immodest  daughter,  being, 
at  the  end  of  tl)e  second  year  of  Christ's  preaching, 
beheaded  by  Herod's  command  ;  who  would  not 
retract  his  promise,  because  of  his  honour,  and  a 
rash  vow  he  made  in  the  gaiety  of  his  lust  and  com- 
placencies of  his  riotous  dancings.  His  head  was 
brought  up  in  a  dish,  and  made  a  festival-present 
to  the  young  girl,  (who  gave  it  to  her  mother).  A 
cruelty  that  was  not  known  among  the  barbarisms 
of  the  worst  of  people,  to  mingle  banquettings  with 
blood  and  sights  of  death.  An  insolency  and  in- 
humanity for  which  the  Roman  orators  accused  Q. 
Fiaminiusof  treason,  because,  to  satisfy  the  wanton 
cruelty  of  Placentia,  he  caused  a  condemned  slave 
to  be  kdled  at  supper:  and  which  had  no  prece- 
dent but  in  the  furies  of  Marius,  who  caused  the 
head  of  the  consul  Antonius  to  be  brought  up  to 
him  in  his  feasts,  which  he  handled  wiih  much 
j)leasure  and  insolency.' 

6.  But  CJod's  judgments,  which  sleep  not  long, 
found  out  HeroiI,and  marked  him  for  a  curse.  For 
the  wife  of  Herod,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Aretas, 
a  king  of  Arabia  Petraea,  being  repudiated  by  pac- 
tion with  Herodias,  provoked  her  fatlier  to  com- 
mence a  war  with  Herod  ;  who  prevailed  against 
Herod  in  a  great  battle,  defeating  his  whole  army, 
and  forcing  him  to  an  inglorious  flight.  AViiich  the 
Jews  generally  exiJounded  to  be  a  judgment  on  him 
for  the  unworthy  and  barbarous  execution  and 
murder  of  John  the  Baptist.  God  in  his  wisdom 
and  severity  making  one  sin  tobe  the  punishment  of 

•  ifeuec.  com.  lib.  v.     Livius,  lib  xxxix.     I'lut.  in  Marcio. 


ciiRisi   cdjNc   :()   rii;.  r'Assoviu,  47 

another,  and  neillior  of  them  Ijotli  to  pass  without 
tlie  sip^nuture  of  u  curse.  And  Xicepliorus  reports, 
that  the(h\ncin<^  daughter  of  Ilerodias  passing  over 
a  frozen  lake,  the  ice  broke,  and  she  fell  up  to  the 
neck  in  water,  and  Iier  head  was  parted  from  her 
l)ody  by  llie  violence  of  tlie  fragments  shook  by  the 
water,  and  its  own  fall,  and  so  perished,  (iod  having 
fitted  a  judiiuient  to  the  analogy  and  rej^resentment 
of  iier  sin.  IferodiasherselfjWith  her  adulterous  para- 
mour, Herod,  were  banished  to  Lyons,  in  France, 
by  decree  of  the  Roman  senate,  where  they  lived 
inglcMiously.  and  died  miserably;'  so  paying  dearly 
for  her  triumphal  scorn  superadded  to  her  crime  of 
murdtr;  for  when  she  saw  the  head  of  the  Baptist, 
which  her  (buighter  Salome  had  presented  to  her  in 
a  charger,  she  thrust  the  tongue  through  with  a 
needle,  as  Fulvia  had  formerly  done  to  Cicero. 
But  herself  paid  the  charges  of  her  triumph. 


Ad.  sect.  xr. 

CoHSuleialioiis  vpoii  Ihe  first  JoHnicij  of  (he  holy 
JesKs  lo  Jenisalein,  ichcii  he  whijijied  llie  incrchanfs 
out  of  I  he  Tcviplc. 

I.  N\  iii.N  the  feast  came,  and  .lesus  was  ascended 
up  to  .Jerusalem,  the  first  place  ue  (ind  him  in  is 
the  tem|)le,  where  not  only  was  the  area  and  court 
of  religion,  but,  by  occasion  of  public  conventions, 
the  most  opportune  scene  for  transaction  of  his 
(onimission  and  his  Father's  business.  And  those 
Christians  v\ho  have  been  religious  and  aflectionate 

Jo!>   Ant.  lib   will.  c.  vii.  lib.  i.  hist.  c.  2Q. 


48  CONSIDERATIONS    UPON 

even  in  tlie  circumslances  of  piety,  liiive  taken  this 
for  a  precedent,  anil  accounted  it  a  <Tood  express  o( 
tlie  re^ulnrity  of  their  devotion  and  order  of  piety,  at 
tlieir  tirst  arrival  to  a  city  to  pay  tiicir  first  visits  to 
(jod,tlie  next  to  his  servant,tlie  president  of  religious 
rites:  first  they  went  intothechurch  and  worshipped  ; 
then  to  tlie  jingel  of  the  church,  to  the  bishop,  and 
begg^ed  his  blessing'.  And  having  tiius  commenced 
with  the  au.*[)iciousness  of  religion,  they  had  better 
hopes  their  just  affairs  would  succeed  prosperously, 
which  after  the  rites  of  Christian  countries  had  thus 
been  begun  with  devotion  and  religious  order. 

2.  When  the  holy  Jesus  entered  the  temple,  and 
espied  a  mart  kept  in  the  lioly  sept,  a  fair  upon 
holy  ground,  he,  who  suffered  no  trans])ortations  of 
anger  in  matters  and  accidents  tem[)oral,  was  borne 
high  with  an  ecstacy  of  zeal ;  and,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  zealots  of  the  nation,  took  upon  him 
the  office  of  a  private  infliction  of  punishment  in 
the  cause  of  God,  which  ought  to  be  dearer  to  every 
single  jjerson  than  their  own  interest  and  reputation. 
What  the  exterminating  angel  did  to  Ileliodorus, 
who  came  into  the  temple  upon  design  of  sacrilege, 
that  the  meekest  Jesus  did  to  them  who  came  with 
acts  of  profanation  ;  he  whipped  them  forth.  And 
as  usually  good  laws  spring  from  ill  manners,  and 
excellent  sermons  are  occasioned  by  men's  ini- 
quities, now  also  our  great  Master  upon  this  acci- 
dent asserted  the  sacredness  of  holy  j)laces  in  the 
words  of  a  prophet,  which  now  he  made  a  lesson 
evangelical  :  '  jNIy  house  shall  be  called  a  house  of 
prayer  to  all  nations.' 

3.  The  beaste  and  birds  there  sold  were  brought 
for  sacrifice,  and  the  banks  of  money  were  for  the 
advantage  of  the  people  that  came  from  far,  that 


iHi;  ri  RUING   riir.  temi'lk.  40 

their  returns  niiglit  be  safe  and  easy,  wlien  tliev 
cftnie  to  Jerusalem  upon  the  eiti|)loyments  of  reli- 
gion. But  they  were  not  yet  fit  (or  the  temple. 
'I'hey  who  brougjht  iheni  thither  purposed  their 
own  jjain,  and  meant  to  pass  them  through  an  un- 
holy usage,  before  they  could  be  made  anathemafa, 
vows  to  God  :  and  when  religion  is  but  the  pur- 
pose at  the  second  hand,  it  cannot  hallow  a  lay 
tiesign,  and  make  it  fit  to  become  a  religious  minis- 
try, much  less  sanctify  an  unlawful  action.  When 
Rachel  stole  her  father's  gods,  though  possibly  she 
might  do  it  in  zeal  against  her  father's  superstition, 
yet  it  was  occasion  of  a  sad  accident  to  herself; 
for  the  .Jews  say  that  Rachel  died  in  childbirth  of 
her  second  son,  because  of  ttiat  imprecation  of  Ja- 
cob, '  With  w  homsoever  thou  findest  thy  gods, 
let  him  not  live.''  Saul  pretended  sacrifice,  when 
he  spared  the  fat  cattle  of  Amalek;  and  Micah  was 
zealous,  when  he  made  him  an  ephod  and  a  tera- 
phim,  and  meant  to  make  himself  an  image  for  re- 
ligion, when  he  stole  his  mother's  money;  but 
these  are  colours  of  religion,  in  which  not  only  the 
world,  but  ourselves  also  are  deceived  by  a  latent 
purpose^  which  we  are  willing  to  cover  with  a  re- 
mote design  of  religion,  lest  it  should  appear  un- 
handsome in  its  own  dressing.  Thus  some  believe 
ji  covetousness  allowable,  if  they  greedily  heap 
treasure  with  a  purpose  to  build  hospitals  or  col- 
leges; and  sinister  acts  of  acquiring  church-livings 
are  not  so  soon  condemned,  if  the  design  be  to  pre- 
ler  un  able  person;  and  actions  of  revenge  conie 
near  to  piety,  if  it  be  to  the  ruin  of  an  ungodly  man  ; 
and  indirect  proceedings  are  made  sacred,  if  they  be 


fiO  CONSIOKRATIONS    LTOR 

fortlie  good  of  the  holy  cause.  This  is  profaning  the 
temple  vvitli  beasts  brouglit  for  sacrifices,  and  disho- 
nours God,  by  making  himself  accessary  to  his  own 
dishonour,  as  far  as  lies  in  them  ;  for  it  disserves  him 
uith  a  2^i"etence  of  religion.  And  but  that  our 
hearts  are  deceitful,  we  should  easily  perceive  that 
the  greatest  business  of  the  letter  is  written  in 
j)ostscript :  the  great  pretence  is  the  least  purpose ; 
and  the  latent  covetousness  or  revenge,  or  the  secu- 
lar apjiendix,  is  the  main  engine,  to  which  the  end 
of  religion  is  made  but  instrumental  and  pretended. 
But  men  when  they  sell  a  mule  use  to  speak  of 
the  horse  that  begat  him,  not  of  the  ass  that  bore 
Jiim. 

4.  Tlie  holy  Jesus  made  a  whij)  of  cords,  to  r  - 
present  and  to  cliastise  the  implications  and  en- 
foldings  of  sin  and  the  cords  of  vanity.  I.  There 
are  some  sins  that  of  themselves  are  a  whip  of  cords : 
those  are  the  crying  sins,  that  by  tlieir  degree  and 
malignity  speak  loud  for  vengeance  ;  or  such  as  have 
great  disreputation,  and  are  accounted  the  basest 
issues  of  a  caitive  disposition  ;  or  such  which  are 
unnatural  and  unusual ;  or  which,  by  public  obser- 
vation, are  marked  with  the  signature  of  divine 
judgments.  Such  are  murder,  oppression  of  wi- 
tlovvs  and  orphans,  detaining  the  labourer's  hire, 
lusts  against  nature,  parricide,  treason,  betraying  a 
just  trust  in  great  instances  and  liase  manners,  ly- 
ing to  a  king,  perjury  in  a  priest.  These  carry 
Cain's  mark  upon  tiiem,  or  Judas's  sting,  or  l\fa- 
nasses'  sorrow,  unless  they  be  m;ule  impudent  by 
the  spirit  of  obduration.  2.  But  tliere  are  some 
sins  that  i)t'ar  shame  U{)on  them,  and  are  used  as 
correctives  of  pride  and  vanity  ;  and  if  they  do 
their  cure,  they  are  converted  into  instruments  of 


THE    Pl'RGING    THE    TKMIM.E.  61 

good  by  tlie  p^reat  power  of  the  divine  j^race  :  but 
if  the  spirit  of  the  man  SJfiows  impudent  and  har- 
dened ajrainst  the  sliame,  that  whicli  commonly 
follows  is  the  worst  slrinf,'  of  tlie  whip,  a  direct 
consijjnation  to  a  reprobate  spirit.  3.  Other  sins 
there  are  for  the  chastisin}?  of  which  Clirist  takes 
the  whip  into  his  own  hand  ;  and  there  is  much 
need,  when  sins  are  the  customs  of  a  nation,  and 
marked  with  no  exterior  disadvantat^e,  or  have  such 
circumstances  of  encourag;ement,  tliat  they  are  un- 
apt to  disquiet  a  conscience,  or  make  our  beds  un- 
easy, till  the  pillows  be  softened  with  penitential 
showers.  In  both  these  cases  the  condition  of  a  sin- 
ner is  sad  and  miserable  :  for  '  it  is  a  fearful  tiling' 
to  full  into  the  hands  of  the  livini^  God  :'  his  hand 
is  heavy,  and  his  sword  is  sharp,  and  '  pierces  to 
the  dividin<)^  the  marrow  and  the  bones.'  And  he 
that  considers  the  infinite  distance  between  God 
and  us,  must  tremble,  when  he  remembers  that  he 
is  to  feel  the  issues  of  that  anger,  which  he  is  not 
certain  whether  or  no  it  will  destroy  him  infinitely 
and  eternally.  4.  JJut  if  the  whip  be  given  into 
our  hands,  that  we  become  executioners  of  the  di- 
vine wrath,  it  is  sometimes  worse ;  for  we  seldom 
strike  ourselves  for  emendation,  but  add  sin  to  sin, 
till  we  perish  miserably  and  inevitably.  God 
scourges  us  often  into  repentance ;  but  when  a 
sin  is  the  whip  of  another  sin,  tlie  rod  is  put  into 
our  hands,  who  like  blind  men  strike  with  a  rude 
and  undiscerning  hand,  and,  because  we  love  the 
jiunisliment,  do  it  without  intermission  or  choice, 
and   have  no  end  but  ruin. 

o.  When  the  holy  Jesus  had  whipped  the  mer- 
oiiants  in  the  temj)le,  they  took  away  all  the  in- 
struments of  their  sin.     For  a  jmlgment  is  usually 


52  CONSIDLRATlOiNS    Ll'ON 

the  commencement  of  repentance  :  love  is  the  last 
of  graces,  and  seldom   at  the  beginning  of  a  new 
life,  but  is  reserved  to  the  })erfections  and  ripeness 
of  a  Christian.     We  begin   in   fear:  'The  fear  of 
the  Lord   is  the   beginning  of  wisdom:  when  he 
smote  them,  then  they  turned,  and  enquired  early 
after  God:''    and   afterwards  the  impresses  of  fear 
continue  like  a  hedge  of  thorns  about  us,  to  re- 
strain our  dissolutions  within  the  awfulness  of  the 
divine  majesty,   that   it  may    preserve    what  was 
from  the  same  principle  begun.     This  principle  of 
their  emendation  was   from  God,  and  therefore  in- 
nocent and  holy:  and  the  very  purpose   of  divine 
threatcnings  is,  that   upon  them,  as  upon  one  of 
the  great  hinges,  the   piety    of  the  greatest  part 
of  men  should  turn  ;  and  the  effect  was  answerable, 
but  so   are  not  the  actions  of  all  those  who  follow 
this  precedent  in  the  tract  of  the  letter.     For  in- 
deed there  have  been  some  reformations  which  have 
been  so  like  this,  that  the  greatest  alteration   which 
hath  been  made  was,  that  they  carried   all  things 
out  of  the  temple,  the  money,  and  the  tables,  and 
the  sacrifice;  and  the  temple    itself  went  at  last. 
But  theie    men's  scourge   is    to  follow  after;  and 
Christ,  the  prince  of  the  catholic  church,  will  jjro- 
vide  one  of  his  own  contexture,  more  severe  than  the 
stripes  which  Heliodorus  felt  from  the  infliction  of 
the  exterminating  angel.  Butthe  holy  Spirit  of  God, 
by  making   provision  against   such  a  reformation, 
hath   prophetically   declared  the  aptnesses   which 
are  in  pretences  of  religious  alterations  to  degene- 
rate into   sacrilegious  desires  :  '  Thou  that  abhor- 
rest  idols,  dost  thou  commit  sacrilege  ?'*     In  this 

>  I'talm  I\.\viii.  33.  '  Rom.  ii.  22. 


THE     PURGING    THE    TF-MPLK.  53 

case  there  is  no  amendment,  only  one  sin  resigns 
to  another,  and  the  pei-son  slill  remains  under  its 
power  and  the  same  dominion. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  Jesu,  thou  bright  image  of  thy  Father's  glories, 
whose  light  did  shine  to  all  the  world,  when  thy  lieart  was  in- 
flamed with  zeal  and  love  of  God  and  of  religion,  let  a  coal 
from  thine  altar,  fanned  with  the  wings  of  the  holy  dove,  kindle 
in  my  soul  such  holy  flames,  that  I  may  be  zealous  of  thy 
honour  and  glory,  forward  in  religious  duties,  earnest  in  their 
pursuit,  prudent  in  their  managing,  ingenuous  in  my  purposes, 
making  my  religion  to  serve  no  end  but  of  thy  glories,  and  the 
obtaining  of  thy  promises :  and  so  sanctify  my  soul  and  my 
body,  that  I  may  be  a  holy  temple,  fit  and  prepared  for  the  in- 
habitation of  thy  ever-blessed  Spirit;  wliom  grant  that  I  maj 
never  grieve  by  admitting  any  impure  thing  to  desecrate  the 
place,  and  unhallow  the  courts  of  his  abcde  ;  but  give  me  a  pure 
soul  in  a  cha-itc  and  healthful  body,  a  spirit  full  of  holy  simpli- 
city, and  designs  of  great  ingenuity,  and  ])erfect  religion,  that  I 
may  intend  what  thou  commandest,  and  may  with  proper  instru- 
ments prosecute  what  I  so  intend,  and  by  thy  aidsmay  obtain  the 
end  of  my  libours,  the  rewards  of  obedience  and  holy  living, 
even  the  socie'y  and  inheritance  of  Jesus  in  the  participation  of 
the  j:)ys  of  thy  temple,  where  thou  dwellcst  and  reignest  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  (ihcst,  ()  eternal  Jesu.     Amen. 


DISCOURSE  VIII. 

Of  Ihe  liclitjhni  of  Holy  Places. 

1.  Tfik  holy  .Tosiis])roiifjht  a  divine  warrant  for  his 
zeal.     The    scllinp:  sacrifices,  and   the  exchange  of 


54  OF    THE    RELIGION    OF 

money,  :nul  every  l;iy  employment,  did  violence 
and  dislionour  to  the  temple,  which  was  hallowed 
to  ecclesiastical  ministeries,  and  set  apart  for  offices 
oficlinion,  for  the  use  of  holy  thing's;  for  it  was 
God's  house:  and  so  is  every  house  by  public  de- 
Rii,'^nalion  separate  for  prayer  or  other  uses  of  reli- 
jj^ion,  it  is  (lod's  house.  ['  My  house  :']  God  hail 
ii  propriety  in  it,  and  had  set  his  mark  on  it,  even 
his  own  name.  And  therefore  it  was,  in  the  Jews 
idiom  of  speech,  called  '  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's 
house,'  and  '  the  house  of  the  Lord,'  by  David  fre- 
quently. God  had  put  his  name  into  all  places  ap- 
])ointefl  for  solemn  worship.  '  In  all  places  where  1 
record  my  name,  I  will  come  unto  thee,  and  bless 
thee.''  For  God,  who  was  never  visible  to  mortal 
eye,  was  pleased  to  make  himself  presential  by  sub- 
stitution of  his  name  ;  that  is,  in  certain  places  he 
hath  appointed  that  his  name  shall  be  called  upon, 
and  by  promising-  and  imparting  such  blessings 
which  he  hath  made  consequent  to  the  invocation 
of  his  name,  hath  made  such  places  to  be  a  certain 
determination  of  some  special  manner  of  his  pre- 
sence. For  God's  name  isnot  a  distinct  thing  from 
himself,  not  an  idea,  ynd  it  cannot  be  put  into  a 
place  in  literal  signification  ;  the  expression  is  to 
be  resolved  into  some  otlier  sense.  God's  name  is 
that  whereby  he  is  known,  by  which  he  is  invo- 
cated,  that  which  is  the  most  immediate  publication 
of  his  essence,  nearer  than  which  we  cannot  go 
unto  liim  :  and  because  God  is  essentially  present 
in  all  places,  when  he  makes  himself  present  in  one 
place  more  than  another,  it  cannot  be  understood 
to  any  other  purpose,  but  that  in  such  places  he 

'  Exod.  XX.  24. 


HDl.Y    PLACT.S. 


gives  special  bles.siiii;s  and  i^races,  or  ilial  in  tlir so 
places  lie  aji[)oints  his  name,  that  is,  himself,  spe- 
cially to  he  invocatetl. 

2.  So  that  wlieu  God  puts  his  name  in  any- 
place by  a  special  manner,  it  signifies  tliat  there 
himself  is  in  that  manner;  but  in  separate  and  hal- 
lowed places  God  hath  expressed  that  he  puts  his 
name  with  a  purpose  it  sliould  l)e  called  upon: 
therefore,  in  plain  sijjnification  it  is  thus;  in  conse- 
crate places  God  himself  is  present  to  be  invoked  ; 
that  is,  tliere  he  is  most  deliglited  to  hear  the 
prayers  we  make  to  him.  For  all  the  expressions 
of  Scripture,  of  '  God's  house,'  '  the  tabernacle  of 
God,'  '  God's  dwelling-,  putting-  his  name  tliere," 
'  his  sanctuary,'  are  resolved  into  that  saying  of 
God  to  Solomon,  who  prayed  that  he  would  hear 
the  prayers  of  necessitous  people  in  that  place ; 
Ciod  granting  the  request  expressed  it  thus,  '  1  have 
sanctified  the  house  which  thou  hast  built;''  that  is, 
the  house  which  thou  hast  designed  for  my  wor- 
ship, I  have  designed  for  your  blessing;  "what  you 
have  dedicated,  1  have  accepted  ;  what  you  have 
consecrated,  I  have  hallowed  ;  I  have  taken  it  to 
the  same  purpose  to  which  your  desires  and  desig- 
nation pretended  it  in  your  first  purposes  and  ex- 
pense. So  that  since  the  purpose  of  man  in  sepa- 
rating places  of  worship  is,  that  thither,  by  order 
and  with  convenience  and  in  communities  of  men, 
God  may  be  worshipped  and  prayed  unto.  God 
having  declared  that  he  accepts  of  such  separate 
places  to  the  same  jiurpose,  says,  that  there  he  will 
be  called  upon,  that  such  places  shall  be  places  of 

'  1  Kings,  ix.  3. 


gfi  01    THE    RELIGION    OF 

atlvantajje  to  our  devotions,  in   respect  of  human 
order,  and  div-ne  acceptance  and  benediction. 

3.  Now,  these  are  therefore  God's  houses,  because 
they  were  given  by  men,  and  accepted  by  God,  for 
the' service  of  God  and  the  offices  of  religion.  And 
this  is  not  the  effect  or  result  of  any  distinct  cove- 
nant God  hath  made  with  man  in  any  period  of  the 
world,  but  it  is  merely  a  favour  of  God,  either  hear- 
ing- the  prayer  of  dedication,  or  eomplyinpr  with 
human  order  or  necessities.  For  ihere  is  nothing 
in  the  covenant  of  Moses's  law  tliat,  by  virtue  of 
special  stipulation,  makes  the  assignment  of  a  house 
for  the  service  of  God  to  be  proper  to  Moses's  rite. 
Not  only  because  God  had  memorials  and  determi- 
nations of  this  manner  of  his  presence  before 
Moses's  law,  as  at  Bethel,  where  Jacob  laid  the  first 
stone  of  the  church,  (nothing  but  a  stone  was  God's 
memorial,)  and  the  beginning  and  first  rudiments 
of  a  temple ;  but  also  because,  after  Moses's  law  was 
given,  as  long  as  the  nation  was  ambulatory,  so 
were  their  places  and  instruments  of  religion. 
And  although  the  ark  was  not  confined  to  a  place 
till  Solomon's  time,  yet  God  was  pleased  in  this 
manner  to  confine  himself  to  the  ark  ;  and  in  all 
places  wherever  liis  name  was  put,  even  in  syna- 
gogues, and  oratories,  and  threshing-floors,  when 
they  were  hallowed  with  an  altar  and  religion, 
thither  God  came;  that  is,  there  he  heard  them 
pray,  and  answered  and  blessed  accordingly,  still 
in  proportion  to  that  degree  of  religion  v\hich  was 
jjut  upon  them.  And  those  places,  when  they 
had  once  entertained  religion,  grew  separate  and 
sacred  for  ever.  For  therefore  David  bought  the 
threshing-floor  of  Araunah,  that  it  might  never  ry- 


iioi.v  iM.vcr.s.  67 

turn  to  common  use  uny  more:  for  it  liad  l>een  no 
trouble  or  inconvenience  to  Aruunah   to  have  used 
liis  floor  for  one  solemnity  ;  but  he  offered  to  give 
it,  and  David  resolved  to  buy  it,  because  it  must  of 
necessity  be  aliened  from  common  uses,  to  which  it 
could  never  return  any  more  when  once  it  had  been 
the  instrument  of  a  religious  solemnity.     And  yet 
this  was  no  part  of  Moses's  law,  that  every  place  of 
Ji   temporary    sacrifice  should   be  '  holy   for  ever.' 
David  had  no  guide  in  tiiis  but  right  reason  and 
the  religion  of  all   the    world.     For   such    things 
which  wore  groat  instruments  of  public  ends,  and 
things  of  highest  use,  were   also    in  all  societies  of 
men  of  greatest  honour,  and  immured  by  reverence 
and  the  security  of  laws.     For  honour  and  reputa- 
tion is  not  a  ihing-  inherent  in  any  creature,  but  de- 
pends upon  the  estimate  of  God  or  men,  who  either 
in  diffusion  or  representation  become  fountains  of 
a  derivative  honour.     Thus  some  men  are  honour- 
able ;  that   is,  those  who  are  fountains   of  honoiit 
in  civil  account  have  commanded  that  they  should 
be  honoured.     And  so  places  and  things  are  made 
honourable  ;  that  as  honourable  persons  are  to  be 
distinguished  from  others  by  honourable  usag'es  and 
circumstances  proper  to  them,  so  also  should  places 
and   things   (upon  special  reason    separate)    have 
a  usage  proper  to  them,  when  by  a  public  instru- 
ment   or    minister   they    are    so    separated.        No 
common    usage    then  ;    something   proper  to  tell 
what  they  are,  and  to  what  purj)oses  they  are  de- 
signed, and  to  signify  their  separation  and  extraor- 
dinariness.     Such  are  the  person  of  the  prince,  the 
archives  and  records  of  a  kingdom,   the  walls  and 
great  defences  of  the  imperial  city,   the  eagles  and 


58  OF    THE    lir.LlfifON    OF 

ensigns  of  war  amonj^st  llie  Romans,  and  aoove  all 
things,  though   not  above  all  persons,  the  temples 
and    altars,  and  all   the    instruments  of  religion. 
And  there  is  much  reason  in  it ;  for  thus  a  servant 
of  a  king,  though    his  employment    be  naturally 
mean,  yet  is  more  honourable,    because  he  relates 
to  the  most  excellent  person  ;  and   therefore  much 
more  those  things  which  relate  to  God.  And  though 
this  be  the  reason  why  it  should  be  so,   yet  for  this 
and  otiier  reasons  they  that  have  power,   that  is, 
they  who  are  acknowledged  to  be  the  fountains  and 
the  channels  of  honour,  I  mean  the  supreme  power 
and    public  fame,  have  made  it  actually  to  be  so; 
for  whatsoever  all  wise  men,  and  all  good  men,  and 
all  public  societies,  and  all  supreme  authority  hatli 
commanded    to  be    honoured   or   revered,   that    is 
honourable   and    reverend  ;    and    this  honour   and 
reverence  is  to  be  expressed  according  to  the  cus- 
toms of  the  nation,  and  instruments  of  honour  pro- 
jier  to  the  nature  of  the  thing  or  person  respectively. 
Whatsoever  is  esteemed  so,  is  so ;  because  honour 
and  noble  separations  are  relative  actions  and  terms, 
creatures  and  productions  of  fame,  and  the  voice  of 
princes,   and  the  sense  of  people  :  and  they  who 
will  not  honour  those  things  or  those  persons  which 
are  thus  decreed  to  be  honouraijle,  have  no  commu- 
nications   with   the   civilities  of  humanity,  or  the 
guises  of  wise  nations  ;  they  do  not  '  give  honour  to 
whom  honour  belongs.'     Now  that  which    in  civil 
account  we  call  honourable  the  same  in  religious 
account  we  call  sacred :  for  by  both  these  words  we 
mean  things  or  persons  made  separate  and  retired 
from  common  opinion  and  vulgar  usages,  by  reason 
of  some  excellency  really  inherent  in  them;  (such 


Hoi.Y   r'l.ACts.  59 

as  are  (^xcelUiit  men  ;)  or  for  their  relation  to  ex- 
cellent persons,  or  <rieat  ends,  public  or  religious  ; ' 
(and  so  servants  of  princes,  and  ministers  ot"  reli- 
gion, and  its  instruments  and  utensils,  are  made  ho- 
nourable or  sacred  ;)  and  the  expressions  of  their 
honour  are  all  those  actions  and  usages  v\hich  are 
tonlrary  to  despite,  and  above  the  usage  of  vulgar 
tilings  or  places.  Whatsoever  is  sacred,  that  is  ho- 
nourable, for  its  religious  relation  ;  and  wliatsoever 
is  honourable,  that  also  is  sacred,  (that  is,  separate 
from  the  vulgar  usages  and  account,)  for  its  civil 
excellency  or  relation.'  The  result  is  this,  that 
when  public  authority,  or  the  consent  of  a  nation, 
hatii  made  any  |)lace  sacred  for  the  uses  of  religion, 
we  must  esteem  it  sacred,  just  as  we  esteem  persons 
honourable  wiio  are  so  honoured.^  And  thus  are 
judges,  and  the  very  places  of  judicature,  the  king's 
presence-chamber,  the  chair  of  state,  the  senate- 
liouse,  the  royal  ensigns  of  a  prince  ;  whose  gold  and 
])urple  in  its  natural  capacity  hath  in  it  no  more  dig- 
nity than  the  money  of  the  bank,  or  the  cloth  of  the 
mart;  but  it  hath  much  more  for  its  signification 
and  relative  use.  And  it  is  certain,  these  things, 
whose  excellency  depends  upon  their  relation,  must 

'  ileligiosum  ist  quod  propter  sanctitatem  aliquam  reniotiim 
ac  seposituni  a  nobis  est,  verbum  a  reliquendo  dictum,  tanouani 
ceremonia  a  carendo.  (jel.  lib.  iv.  c.  9. — "  That  is  religion 
wliich  on  account  of  a  certain  sanctity  has  been  removed  and  se- 
j)arated,  and  the  word  is  derived  from  riliquniilo,  as  ceremony 
trom  <airi/(li)." 

■  Ceremonia;  deorum,  sanctitas  rcgum.  Jul.  t'jrsar  apnd  Sueton. 
— "  The  ceremonies  of  the  gods  is  the  sanctity  of  kings." 

^  Kx  lege  cujusqne  civitatis  jubentur  dii  coli.  Dictum  5  Sa- 
pientum  apudZenophon.  i)— £i'("fi)'  ct  i:,  ^ixii'  Kara  tu  Trdrout 
iKaroir  rrpnm'iKn.  Kpict.  c.  liii. — "  The  law  of  every  state 
commands  the  worship  of  the  gods.  It  behoves  every  one  to 
offer  oblations  and  sacriHces  according  to  his  paternal  religion." 


t-0  OF    THE    RFl-UilON    OF 

receive  the  degree  of  their  honour  Ui  that  propor- 
tion they  have  to  their  term  and  foundation  ;  and 
therefore  what  helonj^s  to  God  (as  holy  places  of 
religion)  must  rise  highest  in  this  account;  1  mean 
higher  than  any  other  places.  And  this  is  besides 
the  honour  which  God  halh  put  upon  them  by  his 
presence  and  his  title  to  them,  which  in  all  religions 
he  hath  signified  to  us, 

4.  Indeed  among  the  Jews,  as  God  had  confined 
his  church  and  the  rites  of  religion  to  be  used 
only  in  communion  and  participation  with  that 
nation,  so  also  he  had  limited  his  presence,  and 
was  more  sparing  of  it  than  in  the  time  of  the 
gospel  his  Son  declared  he  would  be.  '  It  was 
said  of  old  that  at  Jerusalem  men  ought  to  wor- 
ship ;'  that  is,  by  a  solemn,  public,  and  great  ad- 
dress in  the  capital  expresses  of  religion,  in  the 
distinguishing  rites  of  liturgy  ;  for  else  it  had  been 
no  new  thing  ;  for  in  ordinary  prayers  God  was 
then,  and  long  before,  pleased  to  hear  Jeremy  in 
the  dungeon,  Manasses  in  prison,  Daniel  in  the 
lions'  den,  Jonas  in  the  belly  of  the  deep,  otiiers  in 
the  offices  yet  more  solemn  in  the  proseiichtp,  in 
the  houses  of  prayer,  which  the  Jews  had,  not 
only  in  their  dispersion,  but  even  in  Pales.tine,  for 
their  diurnal  and  nocturnal  offices.  But  when  the 
holy  Jesus  had  '  broken  down  the  partition  wall,' 
then  the  most  solemn  offices  of  religion  were  as 
unlimited  as  their  private  devotions  were  before  ; 
for  wherever  a  temple  should  be  built,  thither  God 
would  come,  if  he  were  '  worshipped  spiritually 
and  in  truth  ;'  that  is,  according  to  the  rites  of 
C'hrist,  (who  is  '  grace  and  truth,')  and  the  dictate 
of  the  Spirit,  and  analogy  of  tlie  gospel.  All  places 
were  now  alike  to  btiild  churches  in,  or  memorials 


UiiKY     I'l.Al  IS  M> 

for  God,  (icKl's  liouses.  Ami  thai  our  lile'ised  S:i- 
vionr  discourses  of  places  oi"  public  worsliip  to  the 
■woman  of  Samaria  is  notorious,  because  the  whole 
question  was  concernino^  the  great  addresses  of  Mo- 
ses's rites,  whether  at  Jerusalem  or  mount  Cierizini, 
V,  hich  were  the  places  of  the  right  and  the  schis- 
matical  temple,  the  confinements  of"  the  whole  reli- 
gion :  and  in  antithesis  Jesus  said,  not  here  nor 
there  shall  be  the  solemnities  of  address  to  God, 
but  in  all  places  you  may  build  a  temple,  and  God 
will  dwell  in  it. 

•5.  And  this  hath  descended  from  the  first  bejjin- 
ning  of  relinion  down  to  the  consummation  of  it  in 
the  perfections  of  the  i^ospel :  for  the  ajwstles  of 
our  Lord  carried  the  offices  of  the  gospel  into  the 
temple  of  Jerusalem;  there  they  preached  and 
prayed,  and  j)aid  vows,  but  never,  that  we  read  of, 
offered  sacrifice :  which  shows  that  the  offices 
j)urely  evangelical  were  proper  to  be  done  in  any  of 
God's  j)roper  places,  and  that  thither  they  went  not 
in  com])]iance  with  Moses's  rites,  but  merely  for 
gospel  duties,  or  for  such  offices  which  were  com- 
mon to  Moses  and  Christ,  such  as  were  prayers  anct 
vows.  While  the  temple  was  yet  standing,  they 
had  peculiar  places  for  the  assemblies  of  tiie  (ailh- 
ful,  where  either  by  accident,  or  observation,  or  re- 
ligion, or  choice,  they  met  regularly.  And  I  in- 
stance in  the  house  of  John,  surnamed  Mark,  whicii, 
as  Alexander  reports  in  the  life  of  St.  Barnabas 
Avas  consecrated  by  many  actions  of  religion — by  our 
blessed  Saviour's  eating  the  passover,  his  institution 
of  the  holy  eucharist,  his  farewell  sermon;  ami  the 
:ipostles  met  there  in  the  octaves  of  Raster,  whither 
Christ  came,  and  hallowed  it  with  his  j)resence ; 
and   there,  to  make  up  the  relative  sanctificatioii 


62  or    THE    RELIGION    OF 

complete,  tlie  Holy  Ghost  descenfled   upon  their 
heads   in   the    feast    of  pentecosf.     And   this   was 
erected  into  a  fair  fabric,  and  is  mentioned  as  a  fa- 
mous church  by  St.  Jerome,  and  Venerable  Bede;' 
in    which,  as   Adricomius  adds,  St.  Peter  preached 
that  sermon  which  was  miraculously  prosperous  in 
the  conversion  of  three  thousand  :  there  St.  James, 
brother  of  our  Lord,  was  consecrated  first  bishop  of 
Jerusalem  ;  St.    Stephen  and    Ihe   other  six  were 
there  ordained    deacons;  there  the  apostles   kept 
their  first  council,  and   compiled  their  creed:  by 
these  actions  and  their  frequent  conventions  show- 
ing-the  same  reason,  order,  and  prudence  of  religion 
in  assignation  of  special  places  of  divine  service, 
which   were  ever  observed  by  all  the  nations,  and 
religions,  and  wise  men  of  the  world.     And  it  were 
a  strange  imagination  to  fancy,  that  in  Christian  re- 
ligion there  is  any  principle  contrary  to  that  wisdom 
of  God  and  all  the  world,  which  for  order,  for  neces- 
sity, for  convenience,   for  the  solemnity  of  worship, 
hath   set  apart    places    for  God  and   for   religion. 
Private  prayer  had  always  an  unlimited    residence 
and  relation,  even  under  Moses's  law  ;  but  the  pub- 
lic solemn  prayer  of  sacrifice  in  the  law  of  Moses 
was  restrained   to  one  temple.     In  the  law  of  na- 
ture it  was  not  confined  to  one,  but  yet  determined 
to  public  and  solemn  places.     And  when  the  holy 
Jesus  disparked  the  inciosures  of  INloses,  we  all  re- 
turned to  the  permissions  and  liberty  of  the  natu- 
ral la:v,  in  which,  although  the  public  and  solemn 
prayers  were  confined  to  a  temple,  yet  the  temple 
was  not   confined   to  a  place;  but  they  might  be 
any  where,  so  they  were  at  all,  instruments  of  or- 

'  Epist.  xxvii.  T)e  locis  Sanctis,  cap.  iii.     In  descrip,  Hienw. 
n.  G. 


HOl.Y    PI.VCES.  63 

der,  conveniences  of  assembling,  residences  of  reli- 
gion. And  God,  who  always  loved  order,  and  was 
a|)t  to  hear  all  holy  and  prudent  prayers,  (and 
therefore  also  the  prayers  of  consecration,)  hath 
often  declared  that  he  loves  such  places,  tliat  he 
will  dwell  in  tliem  :  not  that  they  are  advantages 
to  him,  but  that  lie  is  pleased  to  make  them  so  to  us. 
And  therefore  all  nations  of  the  world  built  public 
houses  for  religion  :  and  since  all  ages  of  the  church 
did  so  too,  it  had  need  be  a  strong  and  a  convincing 
argument  that  must  show  they  \\  ere  deceived.  And 
'  if  any  man  list  to  be  contentious,'  he  must  be  an- 
swered with  St.  Paul's  reproof,  '  We  have  no  such 
custom,  nor  the  churches  of  God.' 

6.  Thus  St.  Paul  reproved  the  Corinthians  for 
'despising  the  ciiurch  of  God''  by  such  uses,  which 
were  therefore  unfit  for  God's,  because  they  were 
proper  for  their  own,  that  is  for  common  houses. 
And  altiiough  they  were  at  first,  and  in  the  descend- 
ing ages  so  ufllicled  by  the  tyrainiy  of  enemies,  that 
they  could  not  build  many  cliurches ;  yet  some 
they  did,  and  the  churches  themselves  suft'ered  part 
of  the  persecution.  For  so  Eusebius  reports,  that 
when,  under  Severus  and  (xordianus,  Philip  and 
Galienus,  the  Christian  aft'airs  were  in  a  tolerable 
condition,  they  built  churches  in  great  number  and 
expense.  But  \\hen  the  persecution  waxed  hot 
under  Diocletian,  down  went  the  churches,  upon  a 
design  to  extinguish,  or  disadvantage  the  religion. 
Maximinus  gave  leave  to  rebuild  them.  Upon 
which  rescript  (saith  the  story)  the  Christians  were 
overjoyed,  and  raised  them  up  to  an  incredible 
height  and  incomparable  beauty.     This  was  Chii»- 

'  I  Cor.  xi.  22. 


64  OF    THE    RELIGION    6F 

tian  religion  then,  and  so  it  hatli  continued  ever 
since ;  and  unless  we  should  have  new  reason  and 
new  revelation,  it  must  continue  so  till  our  churches 
are  exchanged  for  thrones,  and  our  chapels  for  seats 
placed  before  the  Lamb,  in  the  eternal  temple  ofthe 
celestial  Jerusalem. 

7.  And  to  this  purpose  it  is  observed,  that  the 
lioly  Jesus  first  ejected  the  beasts  of  sacrifice  out  of 
the  temple,  and  then  proclaimed  the  j)lace  holy, 
and  the  scene  of  representing  prayers;  which  in 
type  intimates  tlie  same  thing  which  is  involved  in 
the  expression  of  the  next  words,  '  My  house  shall 
be  called  the  house  of  prayer  to  all  nations  :'  now 
and  for  ever  to  the  Jews  and  to  the  Gentiles,  in  all 
circumstances  and  variety  of  time  and  nation. 
God's  houses  are  holy  in  order  to  holy  uses  ;  the 
time  as  unlimited  as  the  nations  were  indefinite  and 
universal.  Which  is  the  more  observable,  because 
it  was  ofthe  outward  courts,  not  u  hilher  Moses's 
rites  alone  were  admitted,  but  the  natural  devotion 
of  Jews  and  Gentile  proselytes,  that  Christ  atTirmed 
it  to  be  holy,  to  be  the  house  of  God,  and  the  place 
of  prayer.  So  that  tlse  religion  of  public  places  of 
prayer  is  not  a  rite  of  Levi,  but  a  natural  and  pru- 
dent circumstance  and  advantage  of  religion,  in 
which  all  wise  men  agree  ;  \\ho  therefore  must  have 
some  common  principle  with  influence  upon  all  the 
world,  which  must  be  the  univocal  cause  of  the  con- 
sent of  all  men ;  which  coiinnon  principle  must 
either  be  a  dictate  of  natural  or  prime  reason,  or 
else  some  tradition  from  the  first  parents  of  man- 
kind ;  which  because  it  had  order  in  it,  beauty,  re- 
ligion, and  confirmation  from  Heavc-n,  and  no  rea- 
son to  contest  against  it,  it  hath  surprised  the  un- 
derstanding and  practices  of  all  nations.      And  in- 


jioi.Y   rn.Acrs.  05 

deed  we  find  that  even  in  paradise  God  had  lliat 
which  is  analoi^icid  to  u  ohuroh,  a  distinct  ))hu'e 
where  he  manifested  hiniselt"  present  in  i)roper 
manner.  For  Adam  and  Kve,  when  tliey  had  sin- 
ned, '  hid  themselves  from  the  presence  ot' the  Lord  :' 
and  this  was  the  word  in  all  descents  of  the  church, 
for  the  l>ein^  of  God  in  holy  places,  'the  presence 
of  the  Lord  was  there.'  /*  nd  probaVily  when  Adam, 
from  tiiis  intimation,  or  a  cjreater  direction,  had 
tani^ht  Cain  and  Abel  to  offer  sacrifices  to  God  m 
u  certain  place,  where  they  were  observed  of  each 
in  their  several  offerings,  it  became  one  of  the  rules 
of  religion  which  was  derived  to  their  posterity  by 
tradition,  the  only  way  they  had  to  communicate 
the  dictates  of  divine  commandment. 

8.  There  is  no  more  necessary  to  be  added  in 
behalf  of  holy  places,  and  to  assert  them  into  the 
family  and  relatives  of  religion  :  our  estimate  and 
deportment  towards  them  is  matter  of  practice, 
and  therefore  of  proper  consideration.  To  which 
l)urpose  I  consider,  that  holy  places  being  the  resi- 
dence of  God's  name  upon  earth,  there  where  he 
hath  put  it,  that  by  fiction  of  law  it  may  be  the 
sanctuary  and  the  last  resort  in  all  calamities  and 
need,'  God  hath  sent  his  agents  to  |)ossess  them  in 
j)erson  for  him.  Churches  and  oratories  are  re- 
gions and  courts  of  angels,  and  they  are  there  not 
only  to  minister  to  the  saints,  but  also  they  possess  , 
theuj  in  the  right  of  Ciod.  There  they  are  ;  so  the 
greatest  and  Prince  of  spirits  tells  us,  the  Holy 
(ihost:  '  I  saw  the  Ijord  sitting  upon  his  throne, 
and  his  train  filled  the  temple  ;  above  it  stood  the 
seraphim  :'*  that  was  God's  train.     And  therefor*; 

'  I'salm  xxvii.  4,  :>,  G.  *  Isa.  vi.  1,  2. 

VOL.  11  ;"> 


66  OF     tllK    IIM.IGIUN    OF 

holy  D.ivid  knew  that  liis  addresses  to  God  were  in 
the  presence  of  angels:  '  I  will  praise  thee  with  my 
whole  heart,  before  the  sfods  will  I  sing  praise  unto 
thee  :' '  before  the  a??^^/s,'soit  is  in  the  Septuagint.* 
And  ihat  we  might  know  where  or  how  the  kingly 
worshipper  would  pay  this  adoration,  he  adds, '  I  will 
worship  towards  thy  holy  temple.'  And  this  was 
so  known  by  him,  that  it  became  expressive  of 
(tocI's  manner  of  presence  in  heaven  :  '  the  chariots 
of  God  are  twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of  an- 
gels ;  and  the  Lord  is  among  them  as  in  Sinai,  in 
the  holy  place.' ^  God  in  the  midst  of  angels, 
and  the  angels  in  the  midst  of  the  holy  place;  and 
God  in  heaven  in  the  midst  of  that  holy  circle,  as 
sure  as  he  is  amongst  angels  in  the  recesses  of  his 
sanctuary.  Were  the  rudiments  of  the  law  worthy 
of  an  attendance  of  angels  ?  and  are  tlie  memorials 
of  the  gospel  destitute  of  so  brave  a  retinue  ?  Did 
the  beatified  spirits  wait  upon  the  types  ?  and  do 
they  decline  the  office  at  the  ministration  of  the 
substance  ?  Is  the  nature  of  man  made  worse  since 
the  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  and  have  the 
angels  purchased  an  exemption  from  their  ministry 
since  Christ  became  our  brother  ?  We  have  little 
reason  to  think  so.  And  therefore  St.  Paul  still 
makes  use  of  the  argument  to  press  women  to  mo- 
desty and  humility  in  churches, '  because  of  the  an- 
gels.' And  upon  the  same  stock  St.  Chrysostom 
chides  the  people  of  liis  diocess  for  walking,  and 
laughing,  and  prating  in  cliurches  :  "  The  church 
is  not  a  shop  of  manufactures  or  merchandise,  but 

'  Psalm  cxxxviii.  1,  2. 

■■'  Evut'Tior  c'(yy'c\io)',  LXX.  Orat  Agrip,  apud  Joseph,  lib. 
ii.  c.  10,  cle  Bello  Judaic. 
•*  I'saim  Ixiii.  17. 


HOLY    PI.ACKS.  C7 

the  place  of  anp^els  jvnd  of  arcliang;els,  llie  c(.urt  of 
God,  and  the  image  or  represenlment  of  heaven  it- 
self."' 

9.  For  if  we  consider  that  Christianity  is  some- 
thing more  than  ordinary,  that  there  are  mysteries 
in  our  religion,  and  in  none  else;  that  God's  an- 
gels are  ministering  spirits  for  our  good,  and  espe- 
cially about  the  conveyances  of  our  prayers,  either 
we  must  think  very  low  of  Christianity,  or  that 
greater  things  are  in  it  than  the  presence  of  angels 
in  ourchurclies  :  and  yet,  if  there  were  no  more,  we 
should  do  well  to  behave  ourselves  there  with  the 
thoughts  and  apprehensions  of  heaven  about  us; 
always  remembering  that  our  business  there  is  an 
errand  of  religion,  and  God  is  the  object  of  our  wor- 
shippings. And  therefore,  although  by  our  weak- 
ness we  are  fixed  in  the  lowness  of  men,  yet  be- 
cause God's  infinity  is  our  object,  it  were  very 
happy  if  our  actions  did  bear  some  i'ew  degrees  of  a 
proportionable  and  commensurate  address. 

10.  Now  that  the  angels  are  there  in  the  right  of 
God,  and  are  a  manner  and  an  exhibition  of  the 
Divine  presence  is  therefore  certain,  because  when- 
ever it  is  said  in  the  Old  Testament  that  God  ap- 
peared, it  was  by  an  angel :  and  the  law  itself,  in 
the  midst  of  all  the  glorious  terrors  of  its  manifes- 
tation, '  was  ordained  by  angels,"  and  '  a  word 
spoken  by  angels,'  and  yet  God  is  said  to  have  de- 
scended upon  the  mount.  And  in  the  greatest 
glory  that  ever  shall  be  revealed  till  the  consum- 
mation of  all  things,  the  instrument  of  the  Divine 
splendour  is  the  apparition  of  angels:  for  when  the 


'  Ifomil.  xvi.  in  1    Cor.  et  de  Saccrd.  Tore  <?;  uyytXoi  7rapt« 
KiiKiini  To)  (HitT,  &c.     St.  Anibros.  in  c.  1  Liiru!. 


€S  OF  Tin:  iumioion  uf 

lioly  '  Jesus  shall -come  in  the  glory  of  liis  Father, 
it  is  added  by  way  of  explication,  that  is,  '  with  an 
host  of  angels.' 

11.  The  result  is  those  words  of  God  to  his  peo- 
ple 'Reverence  my  sanctuary:"  for  what  God 
loves  in  an  especial  manner,  it  is  most  fit  we  should 
esteem  accordingly.  '  God  loves  the  gates  of  Sion 
more  than  all  the  dwellings  of  Jacob.'^  The  least 
turf  of  hallowed  glebe  is  with  God  himself  of  more 
value  than  all  the  champaign  of  common  possession  ; 
it  is  better  in  all  senses.  '  The  temple  is  better 
than  gold,'^  said  our  blessed  Saviour  ;  and  therefore 
it  were  well  we  should  do  that  which  is  expressed 
in  the  command  of  giving  reverence  to  it ;  for  we 
are  too  apt  to  pay  undue  devotions  to  gold.  Which 
precept  the  holiest  of  that  nation  expressed  by  wor- 
shipping towards  the  sanctuary,  by  pulling  off 
their  shoes  when  they  went  into  it,  by  making  it 
the  determination  of  their  religious  addresses,  by 
falling  down  low  upon  the  earth  in  their  accesses, 
by  opening  their  windows  towards  it  in  their  pri- 
vate devotions,  by  calling  it  the  glory  of  their  na- 
tion ;  as  is  certain  in  the  instances  of  David, 
Daniel,  and  the  wife  of  Phinehas.  I  shall  not  need 
to  say,  that  the  devouter  Christians  in  the  first  ages 
did  worship  God  with  solemnities  of  address  vvlien- 
ever  they  entered  into  their  oratories.  It  was  a 
civility  Jesus  commanded  his  disciples  to  use  to  com- 
mon houses  : '  When  ye  enter  into  a  house  salute  it:' 
I  suppose  he  means  the  dwellers  in  it.  And  it  is 
certain,  whatever  those  devouter  people  did  in  their 
religious  approaches,  they  designed  it  to  God,  u  ho 
was  the  major  domo,  the  master  of  those  assemblies. 

'  Lev.  xlx.  30.  '  Psalm  Ixxxvii.  2.  '  Mutt,  xxiii.  I?. 


IIOI.Y    PLACES.  69 

And  thus  did  tlie  convinced  Clirisliiin  in  St.  Paul's 
discourse,  when  he  came  into  the  cluirch  where 
they  were  propliesyinii;  in  a  known  hingua;^e  :  '  The 
secrets  of  his  heart  are  made  manifest,  and  so  fall- 
in-?  down  on  his  face  he  will  worship  God.'' 

12.  It  was  no  unhandsome  expression  of  reve- 
rencinj?  God's  sanctuary,  that  pious  people  ever 
used,  in  bestowing^  costly  and  fair  ornaments  upon 
it;  for  so  all  the  Christians  did.  As  soon  as  them- 
selves came  from  contempt  and  scorn,  they  raised 
Christian  oratories  to  an  equal  portion  of  their  ho- 
nour; and  by  this  way  they  thouj^ht  they  did  ho- 
nour to  God,  who  was  the  numen  of  the  place. 
Not  that  a  rich  lioiise  or  costly  offertory  is  better 
in  respect  of  God,  for  to  him  all  is  alike,  save  that 
in  etjual  abilities  our  devotion  is  disting-uished  by 
ihem  ;  and  be  the  offering  never  so  contemptible, 
it  is  a  rich  devotion  that  gives  the  best  we  have: 
because  (although  if  all  the  wealth  of  the  Levant 
were  united  into  a  present,  it  were  short  of  God's 
infinity  ;  yet)  such  an  offertory,  or  any  best  we 
have,  makes  demonstration,  that  if  we  had  an  offer- 
ing infinitely  better,  we  should  give  it,  to  express 
our  love  and  our  belief  of  God's  infinite  merit  and 
perfection.  And  therefore  let  not  'the  widow's  two 
mites'  become  a  precedent  to  the  instance  and  value 
of  our  donation  ;  and  because  she,  who  gave  no 
more,  was  accepted,  think  that  two  farthings  is  as 
fit  lo  be  cast  into  the  corban  as  two  thousand  pounds. 
For  the  reason  why  our  blessed  Saviour  commended 
the  widow's  oblation  was  for  the  greatness  of  it,  not 
the  smallness  :  '  she  gave  all  she  had,  even  all  her 
living,'  therefore  she  was  accepted.     And  indeed, 

'  1  Cor.  xiv.  25. 


70  OF    nib;    UKI.IGION    OF 

since  God  yives  to  us  more  than  enougli,  beyond 
our  necessities,  much  for  our  conveniency,  much 
for  ease,  much  for  repute,  much  for  public  compli- 
ances, for  variety,  for  content,  for  pleasure,  for 
ornament,  we  should  deal  unworthily  with  God 
Almitrhty,  if  we  limit  and  restrain  our  returns  to 
him,  by  confining  them  within  the  narrow  bounds 
of  mere  necessity.  Certainly  beggarly  services 
and  cheapness  is  not  more  pleasing  to  God  than  a 
rich  and  magnificent  address.  To  the  best  of  es- 
sences the  best  of  presents  is  most  proportionable. 
And  although  the  service  of  the  soul  and  spirit  is 
most  delectable  and  esteemed  by  God  ;  yet  because 
our  souls  are  served  by  things  perishing  and  mate- 
rial, and  we  are  of  that  constitution,  that  by  the 
body  we  serve  the  spirit,  and  by  both  we  serve 
God  ;  as  the  spirit  is  chiefly  to  be  offered  to  God, 
because  it  is  better  than  the  body,  s>  the  richest 
oblation  is  the  best  in  an  equal  power  and  the 
same  person,  because  it  is  the  best  of  things  mate- 
rial :  and  although  it  hath  not  the  excellency  of  the 
spirit,  it  hath  an  excellency  that  a  cheap  oblation 
hath  not;  and  besides  the  advantage  of  the  natural 
value,  it  can  no  otherwise  be  spoiled  than  a  meaner 
offering  may,  it  is  always  capable  of  the  same  com- 
mendation from  the  piety  of  the  presenter's  spirit, 
and  may  be  as  much  purified  and  made  holy  as 
the  cheaper  or  more  contemptible.  God  hath  not 
any  where  expressed,  that  he  accepts  of  a  cheaper 
offering,  but  when  we  are  not  able  to  give  him  a 
better.  When  the  people  brought  offerings  more 
than  enough  for  the  tabernacle,  Moses  restrained 
their  forwardness,  by  saying  '  it  was  enough;'  but 
yet  commended  the  disposition  highly,  and  wished 
it  might  be  perpetual.     But  God  chid  the  people 


HiiI.V    I'l,\<  KS.  71 

when  tlioy  let  liis  house  lie  wnsle  without  reparation 
of  its  clecayini:^  beauty  ;  and  therefore  sent  famines 
upon  tlie  land,  and  a  curse  into  their  estate,  because 
they  would  not,  by  skiving  a  portion  to  religion, 
sanctify  and  secure  all  the  rest.  For  the  way  for  a 
man  to  be  a  saver  by  his  religion  is,  to  deposit  one 
part  of  his  estate  in  the  temple,  and  one  in  the 
hands  of  the  poor;  for  these  areCJod's  treasury  and 
stewards  respectively.  And  this  is  '  laying  up 
treasures  in  heaven  :'  and  besides  that  it  uill  pro- 
cure blessing  to  other  parts,  it  will  help  to  save  our 
souls;  and  that  is  good  husbandry,  that  is  worth 
the  saving. 

13.  For  I  consider  that  those  riches  and  I)eauties 
in  churches  and  religious  solemnities,  whicli  add 
nothing  to  God,  add  much  devotion  to  us,  and 
much  honour  and  efficacy  to  devotion.  For  since 
impression  is  made  upon  the  soul  by  the  interven- 
ing of  corporal  things,  our  religion  and  devotion  of 
the  soul  receives  the  addition  of  many  degrees  by 
such  instruments  ;  insomuch  that  we  see  persons 
of  the  greatest  fancy,  and  such  who  are  most 
jileased  with  outward  fairnesses,  are  most  religious, 
(ireat  understandings  make  religion  lasting  and 
reasonable;  but  great  fancies  make  it  more  scru- 
pulous, strict,  operative,  and  effectual :  and  there- 
fore it  is  strange,  that  we  sliall  bestow  such  great 
expenses  to  make  our  own  houses  convenient  and 
delectable,  that  we  may  entertain  ourselves  Avith 
complacency  and  a[)petite,  and  yet  think  that  reli- 
gion is  not  worth  the  ornament,  nor  our  fancies  fit 
to  be  carried  into  the  choice  and  prosecution  of  re- 
ligious actions  with  sweetness,  entertainments,  and 
fair  propositions.  If  we  say  that  God  is  not  the 
better  for  a  rich  house  or  a  costly  service,  we   may 


72  OF    TIli;    UELIGION    OF 

also  remember  that  neither  are  we  the  belter  for 
rich  clothes;  and  the  sheep  will  keep  us  as  modest, 
as  warm,  and  as  clean  as  the  silkworm ;  and  a 
gold  chain  or  a  carktnet  ol"  pearl  does  no  more  con- 
tribute to  our  happiness  than  it  does  to  the  service 
of  religion  :  for  if  we  reply,  that  they  help  to  the 
esteem  and  reputation  of  our  persons,  and  the  dis- 
tinction of  them  from  the  vulfjar,  from  the  servants 
of  the  lot  of  Issachar,  and  add  reverence  and  vene- 
ration to  us;  how  great  a  shame  is  it,  if  we  study 
by  great  expenses  to  get  reputation  and  accidental 
ndvantagesto  ourselves,  and  not  by  the  same  means 
to  purchase  reverence  and  esteem  to  religion;  since 
we  see  that  religion,  amongst  persons  of  ordinary 
understandings,  receives  as  much  external  and  acci- 
dental advantages  by  the  accession  of  exterior  orna- 
ments and  accommodation,  as  we  ourselves  can  by 
rich  clothes  and  garments  of  wealth,  ceremony, 
«ind  distinction  !  and  as  in  princes'  courts  the  re- 
verence to  princes  is  cjuickened  and  increased  by 
5in  outward  state  and  glory,  so  also  it  is  in  the 
service  of  God.  Although  the  understandings  of 
men  are  no  more  satisfied  by  a  pompous  mag- 
nificence than  by  a  cheap  plainness,  yet  the  eye 
is,  and  the  fancy,  and  the  affections,  and  the 
senses:  that  is,  many  of  our  faculties  are  more 
|)leased  with  religion,  when  religion  by  such  in- 
struments and  conveyances  pleases  them.  And  it 
was  noted  by  Sosomen  concerning  Valens  the  Arian 
emperor,  that  when  he  came  to  Caisarea  in  Cappu- 
docia,  he  praised  St.  Basil  their  bishop,  and  upon 
more  easy  terms  revoked  his  banishment,  because 
he  was  a  grave  per.-on,  and  did  his  holy  offices  with 
reverent  and  decent  addresses,  and  kept  liis  church 
«sserablies  with  niiuli  ornunieul  and  solemnity. 


IIOI.Y    l'I.A(  F.S.  73 

M.  1)111  whtiu  I  consicler  tliat  sayinij  of  St. 
Gregory,  "  tlmt  llie  church  is  heaven  within  the 
tabernacle,  heaven  dwelling  among  the  sons  of 
men,"  and  remember  that  God  hath  studded  all 
tlie  firmament  and  paved  it  with  stars,  because  he 
loves  to  have  his  house  beauteous,  and  highly  r« 
presentative  of  iiis  glory,  I  see  no  reason  we  shouUl 
not  do,  as  Apollinaris  says  God  does,  "  in  earth  do 
the  works  of  heaven  ;"  for  he  is  the  God  of  beauties 
and  perfections,  and  every  excellency  in  the  crea- 
ture is  a  portion  of  influence  from  the  divinity, 
and  therefore  is  the  best  instrument  of  conveying 
iionour  to  him,  w  ho  made  them  for  no  other  end 
but  for  his  own  honour,  as  the  last  resort  of  all 
other  ends  for  w  hich  they  were  created. 

15.  But  the  best  manner  to  reverence  the  sanc- 
tuary is,  by  the  continuation  of  such  actions  which 
gave  it  the  first  title  of  holiness.  'Holiness  b«- 
cometh  thine  house  for  ever,'  said  David.  Sancfa 
sanc/is,  holy  persons  and  holy  riles  in  holy  places. 
That  as  it  had  tlie  first  relation  of  sanctity  by  the 
consecration  of  a  holy  and  reverend  minister  and 
jM'esident  of  religion,  so  it  may  be  perpetuated  in 
holy  offices,  and  receive  the  daily  consecration  by 
the  assistance  of  sanctified  and  religious  persons. 
Foris  canes,  dogs  and  criminal  persons  are  unfit  for 
churches :  the  best  ornament  and  beauty  of  a 
church  is  a  holy  priest  and  a  sanctified  people. 
For  since  angels  dwell  in  churches,  and  God  hath 
made  his  name  to  dwell  there  too,  if  there  also  be 
a  holy  people,  that  there  be  saints  as  well  as  angels, 
it  is  a  holy  fellowship  and  a  blessed  communion : 
but  to  see  a  devil  there,  would  scare  the  most  con- 
fident and  bold  fancy,  and  disturb  the  good  meet- 
ing ;  and   huih  is  r\rry  w  irkrd  and  graceless  per- 


74  OF   THE    KLLIGION    (iF 

son.  '  Have  not  I  chosen  twelve  of  you  ?  and 
one  of  yon  is  a  devil.'  An  evil  soul  is  an  evil 
spirit;  and  such  are  no  good  ornaments  for  temples. 
And  it  is  a  shame  that  a  gootlly  Christian  thiircb 
should  be  like  an  Egyptian  temple;  without, goodly 
buildings — within,  a  dog  or  a  cat  for  the  deity  they 
adore.  It  is  worse,  if  in  our  addresses  to  holy 
j)laces  and  offices,  we  bear  our  lusts  under  our  gar- 
inenls;  for  dogs  and  cats  are  of  God's  making, 
but  onr  lusts  are  not,  but  are  God's  enemies  ;  and 
therefore,  besides  the  unholiness,  it  is  an  affront  to 
God  to  bring  them  along,  and  it  defiles  the  place 
in  a  great  degree. 

16.  For  there  is  a  defiling  of  a  temple  by  insinu- 
ation of  impurities,  and  another  by  direct  and  posi- 
tive profanation,  and  a  third  by  express  sacrilege : 
tl)is  defiles  a  temple  to  the  ground.  Every  small 
sin  is  an  unwelcome  guest,  and  is  a  spot  in  tliose 
feasts  of  charity  which  entertain  us  often  in  God's 
houses  :  but  there  are  some  (and  all  great  crimes 
are  such)  which  desecrate  the  place,  unhallow  the 
ground,  as  to  our  particulars,  stop  the  ascent  of  our 
prayers,  obstruct  the  current  of  God's  blessings, 
turn  religion  into  bitterness,  and  devotion  into 
gall ;  sucli  as  are  marked  in  Scripture  with  a  dis- 
tinguishing character,  as  enemies  to  tl)e  j>eculiar 
dispositions  of  religion  :  and  such  are  unchastity, 
which  defiles  the  temples  of  our  bodies;  covetous- 
ness,  vvhich  sets  up  an  idol  instead  of  God;  and 
unmercifulness,  which  is  a  direct  enemy  to  the 
mercies  of  God,  and  the  fair  return  of  our  prayers. 
JTe  that  sliows  not  the  mercies  of  alms,  of  forgive- 
ness, and  comfort,  is  forbid  to  hope  for  comfort,  re- 
lief, or  forgiveness  from  the  hands  of  God.  A 
pure  mind  is  the  I'cst  manner  of  \\or>hij>,  and  the 


HOLY    TLALKS.  75 

impurity  of  a  crime  is  the  greatest  contra  iction  to 
the  honour  and  religion  of  holy  j)laces.  And 
tliereibre,  let  us  imitate  the  j)recedent  of  the  most 
religious  of  kings  :  '  I  will  wash  my  hands  in  inno- 
cency,  O  Ijord,  and  so  will  I  go  to  thine  altar:*' 
always  remembering  those  decretory  and  final  words 
of  St.  Paul,  'He  that  defiles  a  temple,  him  will 
God  destroy.'" 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  etenuil  God,  who  dwellestnot  in  temples  made  with  hands, 
flic  heaven  of  heavens  is  not  able  to  contain  thee,  and  yet  thou 
art  pleased  to  manifest  thy  presence  amongst  the  sons  of  men  by 
^pecial  issues  of  thy  favour  and  benediction.  IMake  my  body 
and  soul  to  be  a  temple  pure  and  holy,  apt  for  the  entertainments 
of  the  Holy  Jesus,  and  for  the  habitation  of  the  Holy  bpirit. 
Lord,  be  ple:.svd,  with  thy  rod  of  paternal  discipline,  to  cast  out 
all  impure  lusts,  all  worldly  afFeciions,  all  covetous  desires,  from 
this  thy  temple  ;  that  it  may  be  a  place  of  prayer  and  meditation, 
of  holy  appetites  and  chaste  thoughts,  of  pure  intentions  and  zea- 
lous desires  of  pleasing  thee ;  that  I  may  become  also  a  sacrifice 
as  w  ell  as  a  temple,  eaten  up  with  the  zeal  of  thy  glory,  and  con- 
sumed with  the  fire  of  love  ;  that  not  one  thought  may  be  enter- 
tained by  me  but  such  as  may  be  like  perfume  breathing  from 
the  altar  of  in.ensc,  and  iiot  a  word  may  pass  from  me  but  may 
have  the  accent  of  heaven  upon  it,  and  sound  pleasantly  in  thy 
cars.  O  dearest  God,  fill  every  faculty  of  my  soul  with  im- 
presses, dispositions,  capacities,  and  aptnesses  of  religion :  and 
do  Uiou  haUow  my  soul,  that  I  may  be  possessed  with  zeal  and  re- 
ligious affectiom;,  loving  thee  above  all  things  in  the  world, 
worship'ping  thee  with  the  humblest  adorations  and  frequent  ad- 
dresses, continually  feeding  upon  the  apprehensions  of  the  di- 
vine sweetness,  and  considerations  of  thy  infinite  excellencies, 
and  observations  of  thy  righteous  connnandments,  and  the  feast  of 
a  holy  Conscience,  as  an  antej)ast  of  eternity,  and  consignation  to 
the  joys  rf  iieaven,  through  Jrsus  Christ  our  liord.    Amen. 

'  Psalm  xxvi.  0".  '  I  Cor.  iii.  I7. 


SECTION  XII. 

of  Jesiis's  departure  into  Galilee ;  his  manner  of  Life, 
Miracles,  and  Preaching ;  his  calling  of  Disciples ; 
and  ivhat  happened  until  the  Second  Passover. 

1.  When  'Jesus  understood  tliiit  John  was  cast 
into  prison,''  and  that  the  Pharisees  were  envious  at 
him  for  the  great  multitudes  of  people  that  resorted 
to  his  baptism,  which  he  ministered,  not  in  his  own 
person,  but  by  the  deputation  of  his  disciples, 
they  finishing'  the  ministration  which  himself  be- 
gan, (who,  as  Euodius  bishop  of  Antioch  reports, 
baptized  the  blessed  virgin,  his  mother,  and  Peter 
only,  and  Peter  baptized  Andrew,  James,  and  John, 
and  they  others,*)  he  left  Judea,  and  came  into 
Galilee  :  and  in  his  passage  he  must  toucli  Sychar, 
a  city  of  Samaria,  where,  in  the  heat  of  the  day  and 
the  weariness  of  his  journey,  he  sat  himself  down 
upon  the  margin  of  Jacob's  well  ;  whither,  when 
'  his  disciples  were  gone  to  buy  meat,  a  Samaritan 
woman  cometh  to  draw  water,'  of  whom  Jesus  asked 
some  to  cool  his  thirst,  and  refresh  his  weariness. 

2.  Little  knew  the  woman  the  excellency  of  the 
person  that  asked  so  small  a  charity  ;  neither  had 
she  been  taught,  that  '  a  cup  of  cold  water  given 
to  a  disciple  should  be  rewarded,'  and  much  rather 
such  a  present  to  the  Lord  himself.  But  slie  pro- 
secuted the  spite  of  her  nation,  and  the  interest 
and  quarrel  of  the  schism  ;  and  instead  of  washing 


'  Matt.  iv.  12. 

•  Euthytn.  r.'i.  in  Joan,  apud  Niceph.  lib.  ii.  c.  3.    Hi«t, 


WHAI     HAPPENED    INTIf.    THE    PASSflVEfl.         77 

Jesus's  feet,  and  J-iviiif^  liiiu  drink,  dematnlecl, 
'  why  he,  bein^  a  Jew,  should  ask  water  of  a  Sama- 
ritan :  f(ir  the  Jews  have  no  intercourse  with  the 
Samaritans.' 

3.  The  ground  of  tlie  quarrel  was  this  : — In  the 
sixth  year  of  llezekiah,  Salmanasar.  kin"^  of  As- 
syria, sacked  Samaria,  transported  the  Israelites  to 
Assyria,  and  j)lanted  an  Assyrian  colony  in  the 
town  and  country,  who,  by  divine  vens^eance,  were 
ileslroyed  by  lions,  which  no  power  of  man  could 
restrain  or  lessen.  The  kin<^  thought  the  cause 
was,  their  not  serving  the  God  of  Israel  according 
to  the  rites  of  Moses  ;  and  therefore  sent  a  Jewish 
captive  priest  to  instruct  tlie  remanent  inhabitants 
in  the  Jewish  religion;  who  so  learne<l  and  ])rac- 
tised  it,  that  they  still  retained  the  superstition 
of  the  Gentile  rites;  till  Manasses,  the  brother  of 
Jaddi,  the  high-priest  at  Jerusalem,  married  the 
daughter  of  Sanballat,  who  was  the  governor  under 
king  Darius.  Manasses  being  reproved  for  mar- 
rying a  stranger,  the  daugh.ter  of  an  uncircumcised 
Gentile,  and  admonished  to  dismiss  her,  Hies  to 
Samaria,  persuades  his  father-in-law  to  build  a 
temple  in  mount  Gerizim,  introduces  the  rites  of 
daily  sacrifice,  and  makes  liimself  high-priest,  and 
began  to  pretend  to  be  tlie  true  successor  of  Aaron, 
and  commences  a  sciiism  in  the  time  of  Alexander 
the  (ireat  :  from  whence  the  question  of  religion 
grew  so  high,  that  it  begat  disaft'ections,  anger,  ani- 
mosities, quarrels,  bloodslied,  and  murders,  not  only 
in  I'alestine,  but  wherever  a  Jew  and  Samaritan 
had  the  ill  fortune  to  meet.     Such   being  the  na- 


'   Non  monstrare  vias  emlcm  nisi  sacra  colcnti : 

Qua;situ:n  ud  fontein  solos  deducere  verpa=.—  Juv.  Sat.  xiv. 


78  Ill-STORY    or    \VH\T     HAPPKNF.D 

ture  of  men,  that  they  think  it  the  greatest  Injury 
in  the  world  when  other  men  are  not  of  their 
minds;  and  that  they  please  God  most  when  they 
are  most  furiously  zealous ;  and  no  zeal  better  to 
be  expressed  than  by  hating  all  those  whom  tiiey 
are  pleased  to  think  God  hates.  This  schism  was 
j)rosecuted  with  the  greatest  spite  that  ever  any 
was,  because  both  the  people  were  much  given  to 
superstition :  and  this  was  helped  forward  by  the 
constitution  of  their  religion,  consisting  much  in 
externals  and  ceremonials,  and  which  they  cared 
not  much  to  hallow  and  make  moral  by  the  inter- 
texture  of  spiritual  senses  and  charity.  And  there- 
fore the  Jews  called  the  Samaritans  accursed :  the 
Samaritans,  at  the  paschal  soleinnity,  would  at  mid- 
night, when  the  Jews'  temple  was  open,  scatter 
dead  men's  bones,  to  profane  and  desecrate  the 
place;  and  both  would  fight,  and  eternally  dispute 
the  question  ;  sometimes  referring  it  to  arbitrators, 
and  then  the  conquered  party  would  decline  the 
arbitration  after  sentence ;  which  they  did  at 
Alexandria  before  Ptolemaeus  Philometor,  when 
Andronicus  had,  by  a  rare  and  exquisite  oration, 
jjrocured  sentence  against  Theodosius  and  Sab- 
bajus,  the  Samaritan  advocates.'  The  sentence  was 
given  for  Jerusalem,  and  the  schism  increased,  and 
lasted  till  the  time  of  our  Saviour's  conference 
with  this  woman. 

4.  And  it  was  so  implanted  and  woven  in  with 
every  understanding,  that  when  the  woman  per- 
ceived '.Jesus  to  be  a  prophet,'  she  undertook 
this  question  with  him:  'Our  Fathers  worshipped 
in  this  mountain  ;  and  ye  say  that  Jerusalen)  is  the 

'  Joseph.  Ant.  lib.  xviii.  cap.  3, 


LMIl.     iUK    SEtONU    I'ASSOVr.R.  79 

place  uliere  men  ought  to  worship.'  Jesus  knew 
the  schism  was  j^ieat  enough  already,  and  was  not 
willing  to  make  the  rent  wider.  And  though  he 
gave  testimony  to  the  trutii,  by  saying,  *  Salvation 
is  of  the  Jews;'  and  'We  know  what  we  worship, 
ye  do  not;'  yet  because  the  suljject  of  this  ques- 
tion \s;is  siiortly  to  be  taken  away,  Jesus  takes  oc- 
casion to  );<each  the  gospel,  to  hasten  an  expedient, 
and  by  way  of  anticipation  to  reconcile  the  disa- 
greeing interests,  and  settle  a  revelation  to  be  veri- 
fied for  ever ;  neither  here  nor  there  by  way  of 
confinement,  not  in  one  country  more  than  anotlier, 
but  wherever  any  man  shall  call  upon  Ciod  in 
sj)irit  and  truth,  tliere  he  shall  be  heard. 

•5.  Hut  all  this  while  the  holy  .Tesus  was  a-thirsi, 
and  therefore  hastens  at  least  to  discourse  of  wat^r. 
though  as  yet  he  got  none.  He  tells  her  of  living 
water,  of  eternal  satisfactions,  of  never  thirsting 
again,  of  her  own  personal  condition,  of  matrimo- 
nial relation,  and  professes  himself  to  be  the  Mes- 
sias :  and  then  was  interrupted  by  the  coming 
of  his  disciples,  who  wondered  to  see  him  alone 
talking  with  a  woman,  beside  his  custom  and 
usual  reserva'.ion.  But  the  woman,  full  of  joy  and 
wonder,  left  her  water-pot,  and  ran  to  the  city,  to 
publish  the  JMessias;  and  immediately  all  the 
city  came  out  to  see;  and  many  believed  on  him 
upon  the  testimony  of  the  woman,  and  more  when 
they  heard  his  own  discourses.  They  invited  him 
to  the  town,  and  received  him  with  hospitable  civi- 
lities lor  two  days,  after  which  he  departed  to  his 
own  (ialilee. 

(j.  Jesus  tiierefore  came  into  the  countrj',  where 
lie  was  received  with  res])ect  and  fair  entertain- 
ment, because  of  the  miracles  which  the  Cialileuns 


80  HIST.)RY    OF    WHAT    UAPPF.SED 

saw  ilone  hy  him  at  the  feast.  And  bein|j  at 
Cana,  vvliere  he  wrought  the  first  miracle,  a  noble 
personage,  a  little  kinj^  say  some,  a  palatinate  says 
St.  Jerome,  a  kingly  person  certainly,  came  to 
Jesus  with  much  reverence  and  desire  that  he 
would  be  pleased  to  come  to  his  house,  and  cure 
his  son,  now  ready  to  die;  which  he  seconds  with 
much  importunity,  fearing  lest  his  son  be  dead  be- 
fore he  get  thither.  Jesus,  who  did  not  do  his  mi- 
racles by  natural  operations,  cured  the  child  at 
distance,  and  dismissed  the  prince,  telling  him  his 
son  lived  ;  which  by  narration  of  his  servants  he 
found  to  be  true,  and  that  he  recovered  at  the 
same  time  when  Jesus  spake  these  salutary  and 
healing  words.  Upon  which  accident  he  and  all 
his  house  became  disciples. 

7.  And  now  Jesus  left  Nazareth,  and  came  to 
Capernaum,  a  maritime  town,  and  of  great  resort, 
choosing  that  for  his  scene  of  preaching,  and  his 
place  of  dwelling  :  for  now  the  time  was  fulfilled, 
tlie  office  of  the  Baptist  was  expired,  and  the  king 
dom  of  God  was  at  hand.  He  therefore  preached 
the  sum  of  the  gospel,  faith  and  repentance  :  '  Re- 
pent ye,  and  believe  the  gospel.'  And  what  that 
gospel  was,  the  sum  and  series  of  all  his  sermons 
afterwards  did  declare. 

8.  The  work  was  now  grown  high  and  pregnant, 
and  Jesus  saw  it  convenient  to  choose  disciples  to 
his  ministry  and  service  in  the  w  rk  of  preaching, 
and  to  be  witnesses  of  all  that  he  should  say,  do, 
or  teach,  for  ends  which  were  afterwards  made 
public  and  excellent.  Jesus,  therefore,  'as  he 
walked  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,'  called  Simon  and 
Andrew ;  who  knew  him  before  by  the  preaching 
of  John,  and  now  left  all,  their  ship  and  their  net. 


t'NTII.    THE    Sr-CONI)    PASSOVER.  SI 

and  followed  him.  And  wlien  he  was  f^one  a  little 
further,  he  calls  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  James 
and  John,  and  they  went  after  him.  And  with 
this  family  he  goes  up  and  down  the  whole  Galilee 
preachin;^  tiie  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  healing  all 
manner  of  diseases,  curing  demoniacs,  cleansing 
lepers,  and  giving  strength  to  paralytics  and  lame 
people, 

9.  But  when  '  the  people  pressed  on  him  to  hear 
the  word  of  God,  he  stood  by  the  lake  of  Gennesa- 
ret,'  and  presently  '  entered  into  Simon's  ship,' 
commanded  him  '  to  launch  into  the  deep;'  and 
from  thence  he  taught  the  people,  and  there 
wrought  a  miracle  :  for,  being  Lord  of  the  crea- 
tures, he  commanded  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  they 
obeyed.  I-'or  when  Simon,  who  had  fished  all 
night  in  vain,  let  down  his  net  at  the  command  o( 
Jesus,  he  inclosed  so  great  a  multitude  of  fishes 
that  the  net  brake,  and  the  fishermen  were  amazed, 
and  fearful  at  so  prodigious  a  draught.  But  be- 
yond the  miracle,  it  was  intended  that  a  represen- 
tation sliould  be  made  of  the  plenitude  of  the  ca- 
tholic church,  and  multitudes  of  Ijclievers  who 
should  be  taken  ))y  Simon  and  the  rest  of  the  dis- 
ciples, whom  by  that  miracle  he  consigned  to  be- 
come fishers  of  men,  who  by  their  artifices  of  pru- 
dence and  holy  doctrine  might  gain  souls  to  God  : 
that  when  the  net  should  be  drawn  to  shore,  and 
separation  made  by  the  angels,  they  and  their  dis- 
ciples might  be  differenced  from  the  reprobate 
j)()rtion. 

H).  But  the  light  of  the  sun  uses  not  to  be  co-i 
fined  to  a  province  or  a  kingdom  ;  .so  great  a  pro 
phet,  and  so  divine  a  physician,  and  so  great  mira- 
cles, created  a  fame  lend  as  thunder,  but  not  s< 


8J  IIISTOIIV     or     WHAT     Il\PIMvNt;D 

full  of  siulness  and  presa;f-e.  Immediately  the  fame 
of  Jesus  went  into  all  Syria,  and  there  came  to  him 
multitudes  from  Galilee,  Decapolis,  Jerusalem,  and 
Juda?a.  And  all  that  had  any  sick  with  divers 
diseases  brought  them  to  him  ;  and  he  laid  his 
hands  on  every  one  of  them,  and  healed  them.  And 
when  he  cured  the  lunatics  and  persons  possessed 
w  ilh  evil  spirits,  the  devils  cried  out,  and  confessed 
him  to  be  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  But  he  suffered 
them  not;  choosinj^  rather  to  work  faith  in  the 
persuasions  of  his  disciples  by  moral  arjjuments 
and  the  placid  demonstrations  of  the  Spirit,  tiiat 
there  might  in  faith  be  an  excellency  in  proportion 
to  the  choice,  and  that  it  might  not  be  made 
violent  by  the  conviction  and  forced  testimonies  of 
accursed  and  unwilling'  spirits. 

II.  But  when  Jesus  saw  his  assembly  was  grown 
full,  and  ills  audience  numerous,  he  went  up  into 
a  mountain  ;  and  when  liis  disciples  came  unto 
him,  he  made  that  admirable  sermon,  called  *  the 
sermon  upon  the  mount;'  (which  is  a  divine  reposi- 
tory of  most  excellent  truths  and  mysterious  dictates 
of  secret  tlieology,  and  contains  a  breviary  of  all 
those  precepts  which  integrate  the  morality  of 
Christian  religion  ;)  pressing  the  moral  precepts 
given  by  Moses,  and  enlarging  their  obligation  by 
a  stricter  sense  and  more  severe  exposition,  that  their 
righteousness  might  exceed  the  rigiiteousness  of 
the  Scribes  and  Pharisees.  "  He  preaches  perfec- 
tion, and  the  doctrines  of  meekness,  poverty  of 
spirit,  Christian  mourning,  desire  of  holy  things, 
mercy  and  purity,  ])eace  and  toleration  of  injuries; 
affixing  a  special  promise  of  blessing  to  be  the 
guerdon  and  inheritance  of  those  graces  and 
spiritual  excellencies.     He  explicates  some  parts  of 


L.Niri.     IHi:    SECOND    PASSOVER.  f?3 

the  tlecalo^ue,  and  adds  appendices  and  precepts 
of  his  own.  lie  teaci)es  his  disciph;s  to  piay,  how 
to  fast,  how  to  give  alms,  conltmiit  of  the  world, 
not  to  judge  others,  forgiving  injuries,  an  indif- 
fereucy  and  incuriousness  of  temporal  provisions, 
jind  a  seeking"  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  its  appen- 
dant rigliteousness." 

12.  AVhen  Jesus  had  finished  his  sermon,  and 
descended  from  the  mountain,  a  poor  leprous  per- 
son came  and  worshipped,  and  begged  to  be 
cleansed  :  which  Jesus  soon  granted,  engaging  him 
not  to  publish  it  where  he  should  go  abroad,  but 
sending  him  to  the  priest,  to  offer  an  oblation  ac- 
cording to  the  rites  of  Moses's  law  ;  and  then  came 
directly  to  Capernaum,  and  taught  in  tlie  syna- 
gogues upon  the  sabbath-days;  w  here  in  his  sermons 
he  expressed  tiie  dignity  of  a  ])rophet,  and  the 
aulliority  of  a  person  sent  from  God  ;  not  inviting 
the  people  by  the  soft  uiguments  and  insinuations 
of  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  but  by  demonstrations 
and  issues  of  divinity.  There  he  cures  a  demoniac 
in  one  of  their  synagogues,  and  by  and  by,  after 
going  abroad,  he  heals  Peter's  wife's  mother  of  a 
fever ;  insomuch  that  lie  grew  the  talk  of  all  men 
and  their  wonder,  till  they  flocked  so  to  him  to 
see  him,  to  hear  him,  to  satisfy  their  curiosity  and 
their  needs,  that  after  he  had  healed  those  multi- 
tudes which  beset  the  house  of  Simon,  where  he 
cured  his  mother  of  tiie  fever,  he  retired  himself 
into  a  desert  place  very  early  in  the  morning,  that 
he  might  have  an  oj)portunily  to  ])ray,  free  from 
the  oppressions  and  noises  of  the  multitude. 

13.  But  neither  so  could  he  be  hid ;  but,  like  a 
light  shining  by  the  fringes  of  a  curtain,  he  w;is 
soon  discovered  in  his  solitude:  for  the  multitude 


84  IllSlORX     or     SMJ  \  I     UM'PK.XEU 

found  liim  out,  imprisoning  ]»im  in  llieir  ciicuita 
and  undeniuble  attendances.  But  Jesus  told  tliem 
plainly,  he  must  preach  the  gospel  to  other  cities 
also;  and  therefore  resolved  to  pass  to  the  other 
side  of  the  lake  of  Gennesaret,  so  to  quit  the 
throng.  Whither  as  he  was  going,  a  scribe  offered 
himself  a  disciple  to  his  institution;  till  Jesus  told 
him  his  condition  to  be  worse  than  foxes  and  birds, 
for  whom  an  habitation  is  provided,  but  none  for 
him,  no,  not  a  place  where  to  bow  his  head  and 
find  rest.  And  what  became  of  this  forward  pro- 
fessor afterward  we  find  net.  Others  that  were 
probationers  of  this  fellowship  Jesus  bound  to  a 
speedy  profession,  not  suffering  one  to  go  home  to 
bid  his  friends  farewell,  nor  another  so  much  as  to 
bury  his  dead. 

14.  By  the  time  Jesus  got  to  the  ship  it  was 
late  ;  and  he,  heavy  to  sleep,  rested  on  a  pillow, 
and  slept  soundly  as  weariness,  meekness,  and  in- 
nocence could  make  him  ;  insomuch  that  a  violent 
storm,  the  chiding  of  the  winds  and  waters,  which 
then  happened,  could  not  awake  him  ;  till  the 
ship  being  almost  covered  with  broken  billows  and 
the  impetuous  dashings  of  the  waters,  the  men  al- 
ready sunk  in  their  spirits,  and  the  ship  like  enough 
to  sink  too,  the  disciples  awaked  him,  and  called  for 
help:  'Master,carest  thou  not  that  we  perish?'  Jesus 
arising  reproved  their  infidelity,  commanded  the 
wind  to  be  still  and  the  seas  peaceable,  and  imme- 
diately there  was  a  great  calm;  and  they  presently 
arrived  in  the  land  of  the  Gergesenes  or  Gera- 
s  nes. 

15.  In  the  land  of  Gergesites,  or  Gergesenes, 
which  was  the  remaining  name  of  an  extinct  peo- 
ple, being  one  of  the  nations  whom  the  sons  of 


» Mil.    nil.    ;»K(<>ND    PAS.SOVER.  8o 

Jiicoh  ilrave  from  tlieir  inheiilance,  there  were  two 
citit.'s  ;  Ciiulara,  from  the  tribe  of  Gad,  to  whom  it 
fell  by  lot  in  the  division  of  the  land  ;  (which, 
having  been  destroyed  by  the  Jews,  was  rebuilt  by 
Poinpey  at  the  request  of  Demetrius  Gadarensis, 
Ponipey's  freed  man;)  and  near  to  it  was  Gerasa, 
as  Josephus  reports.'  Which  diversity  of  towns 
and  names  is  the  cause  of  the  various  recitation  of 
this  story  by  the  evangelists.  Near  the  city  of 
Gadara  tliere  were  many  sepulchres  in  the  hoDow- 
nesses  of  rocks,  where  the  dead  were  buried,  and 
where  many  superstitious  persons  used  INIemphitic 
andTliessalic  rites,invocating  evil  spirits;  insomuch 
that  at  the  instant  of  our  Saviour's  arrival  in  the 
country,  there  met  him  two  possessed  with  devils 
from  these  tombs,  exceeding  fierce,  and  so  iiad 
been  long,  insomuch  tiiat  no  man  durst  pass  that 
way. 

16.  Jesus  commanded  the  devils  out  of  the  pos- 
se.ssed  pei"son.  But  there  were  certain  men  feed- 
ing swine,  wliich,  though  extremely  abominated 
by  the  Jewish  religion,  yet  for  tiie  use  of  the 
Roman  armies  and  quarterings  of  soldiers  they 
were  permitted,  and  divers  privileges  granted  to 
the  nKistei"s  of  such  herds;*  and  because  Gadara 
was  a  (Jreek  city,  and  the  company  mingled  of 
Greeks,  Syrians,  and  Jews  ;  these  last  in  all  likeli- 
hood not  making  tlie  greatest  number.  The  devils 
therefore  besought  .lesus,  he  would  not  send  them 
inlo  the  abyss,  but  '  permit  them  to  enter  into  the 
K«ine.*  lie  gave  them  leave:  'and  the  swine  ran 
violently  down  a  steep   place'  into  the  hot  baths, 

'  Joseph,  de  Be].  Jud.  lib.  i.  c.  5,  and  lib.  iii.  c.  2,  and  lib.  v. 
c.  3;  Epiph.  contra  Kb.  Ha-res.  30. 

"  Cod.  Theod.  de  SuariU.  Joseph,  lib.  ii.  de  Bel.  Jud.  c.  33. 


80  tllSTOItV    OF    WHAT    n.APrENr.D 

which  were  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  G:id;ir:\ 
was  built,  wliich  smaller  congregation  of  waters 
the  Jews  used  to  call  '  sea,'  or  else,  as  others  think, 
into  the  lake  of  Gennesaret,  and  perished  in  the 
waters.  But  this  accident  so  troubled  the  inha- 
bitants, that  they  came  and  entreated  Jesus  to  de- 
part out  of  their  coasts:  and  he  did  so.  Leaving 
Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,  he  came  to  the  Lesser  Ga- 
lilee, and  so  again  to  the  city  of  Capernaum. 

17.  But  when  he  was  come  thither,  he  was  met 
by  divers  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  came  from 
Jerusalem,  and  doctors  of  the  law  from  Galilee: 
and  while  they  were  sitting  in  a  house,  which  was 
compassed  with  multitudes,  that  no  business  or 
necessity  could  be  admitted  to  the  door,  a  poor 
paralytic  was  brought  to  be  cured,  and  they  were 
fain  to  uncover  the  tiles  of  the  house,  and  let  him 
down  in  his  bed  with  cords  in  the  midst,  before 
Jesus  sitting  in  conference  with  the  doctors.  When 
Jesus  saw  their  faith,  he  said,  '  Man,  thy  sins  be 
forgiven  thee.'  At  which  saying  the  Pharisees 
being  troubled,  thinking  it  to  be  blasphemy,  and 
that  none  l)ut  God  could  forgive  sins,  Jesus  was 
})ut  to  verify  his  absolution ;  which  lie  did  in  u 
just  satisfaction  and  proportion  to  their  under- 
standings :  for  the  Jews  did  believe  that  all  afflic- 
tions were  punishments  for  sin;  ('Who  sinner', 
this  man  or  his  father,  that  he  was  born  blind  ?') 
and  that  removing  of  the  punishment  was  forgiving 
of  the  sin  :  and  therefore  Jesus,  to  prove  that  his 
sins  were  forgiven,  removed  that  which  they  sup- 
posed to  be  tlie  effect  of  his  sin,  and  by  curing  the 
palsy  prevented  their  further  murmur  about  the 
pardon:  'that  ye  might  know  the  Son  of  man 
hath   power  on  earth  to  forgive   sins,  (he  sailh  to 


UNTIL    THE    SECOND    PASSdVl-R.  S7 

le  sick  of  the  palsy,)  arise,  take  up  thy  bed  and 
*alk  :  and  the  man  arose,  was  healed,  and  glorified 
jrod.' 

18.  Awhile  after,  Jesus  went  aj^ain  towards  the 
•sea;  and  on  his  way,  seeing  Matthew  the  publican 
sitting:  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  he  bade  him  follow 
him.  Matthew  first  feasted  Jesus,  and  then  be- 
:ame  his  disciple.  But  the  Pharisees  that  were 
with  him  hejjan  to  be  troubled  that  he  ate  with 
publicans  and  sinners  :  for  the  office  of  publican, 
thougi)  among  the  Romans  it  was  honest  and  of 
great  account,  and  "  the  flower  of  the  Roman 
knights,  the  ornament  of  the  city,  the  security  of 
the  common wealtli,  was  accounted  to  consist  in 
the  society  of  publicans;'"  yet  amongst  both  the 
Jews  and  Greeks  tlie  name  was  odious,  and  the 
persons  were  accursed;*  not  only  because  they 
were  strangers  that  were  the  chief  of  them,  who 
took  in  to  them  some  of  the  nation  where  they 
were  employed  ;  but  because  the  Jews  especially 
stood  upon  the  charter  of  liieir  nation,  and  tlie  pri- 
vilege of  tiieir  relii^ion,  that  none  of  them  should 
pay  tri!)iite  ;  :ind  also  because  they  exercised  great 
injustices  anti   oppressions,'  having   a    power   un- 

'  Cicero  Ep.  Faniil.  lib.  xiii.  et  in  Orat.  pro  Plancio* 

*  Idem  ad  Quint.  Fraireiii  de  rcginiint;  prajfectura;  Asian. 

^  Vita  publitanormii  aperta  est  violentia,  impunita  rapina, 
negotiatio  nulla  ratione  can.slans,  invcrtcunda  mercatura.  Suidas. 
V.  Publicaniis,  Trdfriij  Ti\o)i'cti  —dt'rii;  itnit/  «'jj7r«y£<,'-  — 
"The  lite  of  the  publican  is  open  violence;  unpunished  rapine; 
business  without  rules;  traffic  without  shame.  'I'hc  publicans 
arc,  without  exception,  plunderers." 

Apud  HcbrsEuni  tcxtuni  D.  i\Iatth.-Ei,  Publican!  dicti  Pari- 
ini,  nomine  proprio  latroiiibus  qui  sepes  et  niacetiani  diriniiint, 
licet  proprie  dicti  (labaim ;  undc  fortasse  (Jabella. — '-In  the 
Hebrew  text  of  D.  iMattha;us,  publicans  iire  called  I'arisim,  the 
proper  name  of  robbers,  who  tear  down  fences;  although  pro- 
perly called  ('•abaiin,  from  which,  perhaps,   Gubflln.^' 


88  HISTORY    OF  WHAT    HAPPENED 

limited,  and  a  covetousness  wide  as  hell,  and 
jrreedy  as  the  fire  or  the  grave.  But  Jesus  gave  so 
fair  an  account  concerning  his  converse  with  these 
persons,  that  the  objection  turned  to  be  his  apology ; 
for  therefore  he  conversed  with  them,  because  they 
were  sinners  :  and  it  was  as  if  a  physician  should 
be  reproved  for  having  so  much  to  do  witii  sick 
persons  :  for  therefore  was  he  sent,  not  to  call  the 
righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance,  to  advance  the 
reputation  of  mercy  above  the  rites  of  sacrifice. 

19.  But  as  the  little  bubbling.and  gentle  mur- 
murs of  the  water,  are  presages  of  a  storm,  and  are 
more  troublesome  in  their  prediction  than  their 
violence;  so  were  the  arguings  of  the  Pharisees 
symptoms  of  a  secret  displeasure,  and  an  ensuing 
war:  though  at  first  represented  in  the  civilities  of 
questions  and  scholastical  discourses,  yet  they  diil 
but  forerun  vigorous  objections  and  bold  calumnies, 
which  were  the  fruits  of  the  next  summer.  But  as 
yet  they  discoursed  fairly,  asking  him  '  why  John'.s 
tlisciples  fasted  often,  but  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
did  not  fast.'  Jesus  told  them,  it  was  because 
these  were  the  days  in  which  the  bridegroom  was 
come  in  person  to  espouse  the  church  into  himself; 
and  therefore  for  '  the  children  of  tlie  bride-cham- 
ber to  fast'  then,  was  like  the  bringing  of  a  dead 
corpse  to  the  joys  of  a  bride,  or  the  pomp  of  coro- 
nation :  '  the  days  should  come  that  the  bridegroom 
should  retire'  into  his  chamber,  and  draw  the  cur- 
tains ;  '  and  then  they  should  fast  in  those  days.' 

20.  While  Jesus  was  discoursing  with  the  Phari- 
sees. 'Jairus,  a  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  came  to 
him,'  desiring  he  would  help  his  daughter,  who 
lay  in  tlie  confines  of  death,  ready  to  depart.  Whi- 
ther  as  he  was  goin",  '  u  woman  met  him  who  had 


UNTIL    Tin     SECONIJ    I'ASSOVr/l.  K'> 

been  diseased  wiih  un  issue  of  blood  twelve  years-,* 
without  lioj)e  of  remedy  from  art  or  nature;  and 
therefore  she  runs  to  Jesus,  thinkiiiij,  without  ))re- 
cedent,  upon  the  confident  persuasions  of  a  holy 
faith,  '  that  if  the  did  but  touch  the  hem  of  his  <;ar- 
ment,  sJie  sliould  be  w  hole.'  5She  came  Iremblitif^-, 
and  full  of  hope  and  reverence,  and  '  touched  his 
•Jarnieni  ;  and  immediately  the  fountain  of  her  un- 
natural emanation  was  stopped,'  and  reverted  to 
its  natural  course  and  offices.  St.  Ambrose  says 
that  this  woman  was  JNIarlha.  But  it  is  not  likely 
that  she  was  a  .Jewess,  but  a  Gentile,  because  of 
that  return  which  she  made  in  memory  of  her 
cure  and  honour  of  Jesus  accord  in<{  to  I  he  Gentile 
rites.  J^or  f^usebius  reports  tliat  himself  saw,  at 
Ca^sarea  Philippi,  a  statue  of  brass,  representinjj  a 
woman  kneeling-  at  the  feet  of  a  goodly  personagu, 
who  held  his  iiand  out  to  her  in  a  posture  of  grant- 
ing her  request,  and  doing  favour  to  her ;  and  the 
inhabitants  said  it  was  erected  by  the  care  and  cost 
of  this  woman  ;  adding,  (whether  out  of  truth  or 
easiness  is  not  certain,)  that  at  the  pedestal  of  this 
statue  an  usual  plant  did  grow,  which  when  it  was 
come  up  to  that  maturity  ami  height  as  to  arrive 
at  the  fringes  of  the  brass  monument,  it  was  medi- 
cinal in  many  dangerous  diseases.'  So  far  Eust*- 
bius.  Concerning  whicli  story  I  shall  make  no 
censure  but  this,  that  since  St.  ^lark  and  St.  Luke 


'  Lib.  vii.  Hist.  c.  14.  'K7rf(T)//<oj'  Xp"?t«  aynX/irr,  et  ra 
XpiTK  (ifi'inuyra  apiid  Sozonicn.  lib.  v.  c.  20.  Jiilinn.  Dainas. 
de  Imagin.  Oral.  iii.  ex  t'lironico  Johan.  .Melahe  Antiocli. 
l-'.pisc.  ait,  supplictni  libelluni  ublatum  Philippo,  tetrarclife 
Trachioniiidis  rcgi(.nis,  \it  liccret  siatuas  erigere  in  menioTiaiii 
BCccpti  bcnetiiii.  — "  ./olian.  Daniai.  Fays,  that  a  p:titirn  was 
jire  cntcd  to  Philip,  ictrarch  of  Trachonitis,  far  pcrnus&ioi\  tu 
raise  a  statue  in  nieir.ory  of  the  Mercy." 


90  IlI*iT<jHV    «'F    W  II  \  r     HAPPENED 

affirm  that  tliis  woman,  before  her  cure,  '  had  spent 
Jill  her  substance  upon  physicians,''  it  is  not  easily 
imag^inable  how  she  should  become  able  to  dispend 
so  great  a  sum  of  money  as  would  purchase  two  so 
great  statues  of  brass.  And  if  she  could,  yet  it  is 
still  more  unlikely  that  ihe  Gentile  princes  and 
proconsuls,  who  searched  all  places,  public  and 
private,  and  were  curiously  dilig'ent  to  destroy  all 
honorary  monuments  of  Christianity,  should  let 
this  alone ;  and  that  this  should  escape  not  only 
the  diligence  of  the  persecutors,  but  the  fury  ot' 
such  wars  and  changes  as  happened  in  Palestine ; 
and  that  for  three  hundred  years  together  it 
should  stand  up  in  defiance  of  all  violences  and 
changeable  fate  of  all  things.  However  it  be,  it  is 
certain  that  the  book  against  images,  published  by 
the  command  of  Charles  the  Great,  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago,  gave  no  credit  to  the  story.* 
And  if  it  had  been  true,  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  Justin  Martyr,  who  was  born  and  bred 
in  Palestine,  and  Origen,  who  lived  many  years 
in  Tyre,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place 
where  the  statue  is  said  to  stand,  and  were 
highly  diligent  to  heap  together  all  things  of 
advantage  and  reputation  to  the  Christian  cause, 
would  not  have  omitted  so  notable  an  instance.  Tt 
is  therefore  likely  that  the  statues  which  Eusebius 
saw,  and  concerning  which  he  heard  such  stories, 
were  first  placed  there  upon  the  stock  of  a  heathen 
story  or  ceremony  ;  and  in  process  of  time,  for  the 
likeness  of  the  figures,  and  its  capacity  to  be  trans- 
lated to  the  Christian  story,  were  by  the  Christians 


'   Rfark,  v.  G  ;   Luke,  viii.  43. 
'  Lib.  iv.  de  Imagin.  c  15. 


UNTIL    THE    SECOND    PASSOVER.  91 

in  after  atjes  attributed,  by  a  fiction  of  fancy,  and 
afterwards  by  credulity  confidently  applied,  to  the 
present  narrative. 

21.  'When  Jesus  was  come  to  the  ruler's  house,* 
lie  found  the  minstrels  making  their  funeral  noises 
for  the  death  of  Jairus's  daughter  ;  and  his  servants 
had  met  him,  and  acquainted  him  of  '  the  death  of 
the  ciiild.     Yet  Jesus  turned  out  the  minstrels,  and 
'  entered   with   the  j)arents  of  the    child    into  her 
chamber,  and  taking  her  by  the  hand  called  her,' 
and  awakened   her   from   the  sleep  of  death,  and 
'  comniauded  them  to  give  her  to  eat,'  and  enjoined 
them   not  to  publish  the  miracle.     But  as   flames 
suppressed    by  violent  detensions  break   out  and 
rage  \\ith  a  n)ore  impetuous  and  rapid  motion,  so 
it  happened  to  Jesus,  who  endeavouring  to  make 
the  noises  and  reports  of  him  less  popular,  made 
them  to  be  oecumenical.     For  not  only  we  do  that 
most  greedily  from  which   we  are  most  restrained, 
but  a  great  merit  enamelled  with   humility,  and 
restrained    with    modesty,   grows  more   beauteous 
and  florid,  up  to  the  heights  of  wonder  and  glories. 
22.  As  he  came  from  Jairus's   house,   he  cured 
two  Mind  men,  upon  their  petition  and  confession 
that  they  did  believe  in  him,  and   cast  out  a  dumb 
devil,  so  much  to  the  wonder  and   amazement  of 
the  people,  that  the  Pharisees  could  hold  no  longer, 
being  ready  to  burst  with  envy,  but  said  '  he  cast 
out  devils   by    help   of  the  devils:'  their  malice 
being,  as  usually  it  is,   contradictory  to  its  own 
design,  by  its  being  unreasonable;  nothing  being 
more  sottish  than  for  the  devil  to  divide  his  king- 
dom  upon   a  plot,  to    ruin    his   certainties    upon 
hopes  future  and    contingent.     But  this  was  but 
llie  first  eruption  of  their  malice:  all  the  year  last 


H'i  JESUS'S    rONFF.ntNCE    WITH 

past,  which  was  the  first  year  of  Jesus's  preacliing, 
all  uas  quiet;  neither  the  Jews,  nor  the  Samaritans, 
nor  the  Galileans  did  mali.<,m  his  doctrine  or  person, 
but  he  preached  with  much  peace  on  all  hands;' 
for  this  was  the  year  which  the  projihet  Isaiah 
called  in  his  prediction,  '  the  acceptable  year  of  the 
Lord.' 


Ad.  section  XII. 

Considerations  vpon  the  intercourse  happening    he- 
tiveen  the  Holy  Jesus  and  the  fVoman  of  Samaria. 

1.  When  the  holy  Jesus,  perceiving  it  unsafe  to 
be  at  Jerusalem,  returned  to  Galilee,  where  the 
largest  scene  of  his  prophetical  office  was  to  be 
represented,  he  journeyed  on  foot  through  Samaria; 
and  being  weary  and  faint,  hungry  and  thirsty,  he 
sat  down  l)y  a  well,  and  begged  water  of  a  Sama- 
rMan  woman  that  was  a  sinner,  who  at  first  refu.setl 
him,  with  some  incivility  of  language.  But  he, 
instead  of  returning  anger  and  passion  to  her  rude- 
ness, which  was  commenced  upon  the  interest  of  a 
mistaken  religion,  preached  the  coming  of  the 
.Messias  to  her,  unlocked  the  secrets  of  her  heart, 
and  let  in  his  grace,  and  made  '  a  fountain  of 
living  water  to  spring  up'  in  her  soul,  to  extinguish 
the  impure  flames  of  lust  wiiich  had  set  her  on 
fire,  burning  like  hell  ever  since  the  deatli  of  her 
fifth  husband,  she  then  becoming  a  concubine  to 
the  sixth.  Thus  Jesus  transplanted  nature  into 
grace,  his  hunger  and  thirst  into  religious  appetites, 

'  Kpiphan.  in  Pan.  lib.  ii.  torn,  i.  Ilaeres.  51. 


THE    WOMAN    or    SAM.vniA.  93 

the  darkness  of  tlie  Siimaiitan  into  a  clear  revela- 
tion, her  sin  into  repentance  and  charity,  and  so 
quenched  his  o«n  thirst  by  relieving  her  needs  : 
and  as  '  it  was  meat  to  do  his  F'alher's  will,'  so  it 
was  drink  to  him  to  hrinpf  us  to  drink  of  *  tlie 
fountain  of  living  water.'  For  thus  God  declared 
it  to  be  a  delight  to  him  to  see  us  live,  as  if  he 
were  refreshed  by  those  felicities  which  he  gives  to 
us  as  communications  of  his  grace,  and  instances 
of  mercy,  and  consignations  to  heaven.  Upon 
which  we  can  look  with  no  eye  but  such  as  sees 
and  admires  the  excellency  of  the  divine  charity  ; 
which,  being  an  emanation  from  the  mercies  and 
essential  compassion  of  eternity,  God  cannot  choose 
but  rejoice  in  it,  and  love  the  works  of  his  mercy, 
who  wjxs  so  well  pleased  in  the  works  of  his  power. 
He  that  was  deliglited  in  the  creation,  was  highly 
|)leased  in  the  nearer  conveyance  of  himself,  when 
lie  sent  the  holy  Jesus  to  bear  his  image,  and  his 
mercies,  and  his  glories,  and  oft'er  them  to  the  use 
and  benefit  of  man.  For  this  was  the  chief  of  the 
works  of  God  ;  and  therefore  the  blessed  Master 
could  not  but  be  highliest  pleased  with  it,  in  imita- 
tion of  his  heavenly  Father. 

2.  The  woman  observing  our  Saviour  to  have 
come  with  his  face  Irom  Jerusalem,  was  angry  with 
liim  upon  the  quarrel  of  the  old  schism.  The  Jews 
and  the  Samaritans  had  diftering  rites,  and  the 
zealous  persons  upon  each  side  did  commonly  dis- 
pute themselves  into  uncharitableness  ;  and  so  have 
Cliristians  upon  the  same  confidence  and  zeal,  and 
mislake.  For  although  'righteousness  hath  no  fel- 
lowsliip  with  unrighteousness,'  nor  Christ  with  Be- 
lial;  yet  the  consideration  of  the  crime  of  heresy, 
which  is  a  spiritual  w  ickcdnes.";,  is  to  be  separate  from 


'.)[  Jtsts's    C(iM  l.ltliNfE    WriH 

the  j)er,son,  who  is  miiteriul.  That  is,  no  spirilual 
communion  is  to  be  endured  with  heretical  persons, 
w  hen  it  is  certain  tljey  are  such,  when  they  are  con- 
vinced by  competent  authority  and  sufficient  argu- 
ment. But  the  persons  of  the  men  are  to  be 
pitied,  to  be  reproved,  to  be  redargued  and  con- 
vinced, to  be  wrought  upon  by  fair  compliances 
and  the  offices  of  civility,  and  invited  to  the  family 
of  faith  by  the  best  arguments  of  charity,  and  the 
instances  of  a  holy  life.  '  Having  your  conversa- 
tion honest  among  men,  that  they  may,  beholding 
your  good  works,  glorify  God  in  the  day  when  he 
shall  visit  them.'*  Indeed  if  there  be  danger,  that 
is,  a  weak  understanding  may  not  safely  converse 
in  civil  society  with  a  subtle  heretic  ;  in  such  cases 
tliey  are  to  be  avoided,  not  saluted.*  But  as  this  is 
only  when  the  danger  is,  by  reason  of  the  unequal 
capacities  and  strengths  of  the  person  ;  so  it  must 
be  only  when  the  article  is  certainly  heresy,  and 
the  person  criminal,  and  interest  is  the  ingredient 
in  the  persuasion,  and  a  certain  and  a  necessary 
truth  destroyed  by  the  opinion.  We  read  that  St. 
John  espying  Cerinthus  in  a  bath,  refused  to  wash 
there  where  the  enemy  of  God  and  his  Holy  Son 
had  been.^  This  is  a  good  precedent  for  us,  when 
the  case  is  equal.  St.  John  could  discern  the  spi- 
rit of  Cerinthus,  and  his  heresy  was  notorious,  fun- 
damental, and  highly  criminal,  and  the  apostle  a 
person  assisted  up  to  infallibility.  And  possibly 
it  was  done  by  the  whisper  of  a  prophetic  spirit, 
and  upon  a  miraculous  design  ;  for  immediately 
upon  his  retreat  the  bath   feli  down,  and  crushed 


'  1  Pet.  ii.  12.  ^  Tit.  iii.  10.    2  Epist.  John,  10. 

'  Irensc.  lib.  iii.  c.  3.     Euseb  lib.  iii.  c.  13. 


THK     «<(\I\N    Of    SA>UltJ\.  P5 

('erinlhus  in  llie  ruins.  IJut  such  acts  of  uversji- 
tion  as  these  are  not  easily  by  us  to  be  drawn  into 
example,  unless  in  tlie  same  or  the  parallel  con- 
course of  equally  conduclinir  accidents.  We 
must  not  quickly,  nor  upon  slij^ht  j^ronnds,  nor  un- 
worthy instances,  call  heretic  :  there  had  need  be  a 
long  process,  and  a  hii^h  conviction,  and  a  compe- 
tent judj^e,  and  a  necessary  article,  that  must  be 
inj^redients  into  so  sad  and  decretory  definitions, 
and  condemnation  of  a  person  or  opinion.  But  if 
Kuci)  instances  occur,  come  not  near  the  danger  nor 
the  scandal.  And  this  advice  St.  Cy])rian  gave  to 
the  lay  jieople  of  his  diocess:  "  Let  ihcm  decline 
tlieir  discourses,  whose  sermons  creep  and  corrode 
like  a  cancer;  let  there  be  no  colloquies,  no  ban- 
quets, no  commerce  with  such  who  are  excommu- 
nicate and  justly  driven  from  the  communion  of 
the  church."'  "For  such  persons  (as  St.  Leo 
descants  u|)on  the  apostle's  expression  of  heretical 
discourses)  creej)  in  humbly,  and  with  small  and 
modest  beginnings  ;  they  catch  with  flattery,  they 
l)ind  gently,  and  kill  privily."*  Let,  therefore,  all 
persons  who  are  in  danger,  secure  their  persons  and 
persuasions  by  removing  far  from  the  infection. 
And  for  the  scandal,  St.  Ilerminigilda  gave  an  he- 
roic example,  which  in  her  persuasion,  and  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  age  anil  action,  deserved  the 
higlx^st  testimony  of  zeal,  I'eligious  passion,  and 
confident  j)ersuasion.  l*'or  she  rather  chose  to  die 
by  the  mandate  of  her  tyrant  father,  Leonigildus 
the  Goth,  than  she  would,  at  the  paschal  solemnity 
receive  the  blessed  sacrament  at  the  hand  of  an 
Arian  bishop.^ 

'  Lib.  i.  Kp.  '.i.  "  .Scnii.  v.  dc  Jcjun.  tlccimi  mcnsw. 

'  Grcgor.  lib.  ii-.  Dial.  iii.  i:{. 


!J()  JESUS'S    CONFIiRENCi:    WITH 

3.  But  exceptinj^  tiiese  cases,  which  are  not  to 
lt€  judg-ed  with  forwardness,  nor  rashly  taken  mea- 
sure of,  we  find  that  conversing  charitably  with 
persons  of  differing  persuasions  hath  been  instru- 
mental to  their  conversion  and  God's  glory.  '  The 
lielieving  wife  mat/  sanctify  the  unbelieving  hus- 
band ;'  and  we  find  it  verified  in  church  story.  St. 
Cecily  converted  her  husband,  Valerianus ;  St. 
Theodora  converted  Sisinius;  St.  Monica  converted 
Patricius,  and  Tlieodelinda,  Agilulphus  ;  St.  Clo- 
tilda persuaded  king  Clodoveus  to  be  a  Christian  ; 
and  St.  Natolia  persuaded  Adrianus  to  be  a  martyr. 
For  they,  having  their  conversation  honest  and 
holy  amongst  the  unbelievers,  shined  like  virgin- 
tapers  in  the  midst  of  an  impure  prison,  and 
amused  the  eyes  of  the  sons  of  darkness  with  the 
brightness  of  the  flame  ;  for  the  excellency  of  a 
holy  life  is  the  best  argument  of  the  inhabitation 
of  God  within  the  soul :  and  who  will  not  offer  up 
his  understanding  upon  that  altar,  where  a  deity  is 
placed  as  the  president  and  author  of  religion  ? 
And  this  very  intercourse  of  the  holy  Jesus  with 
the  woman,  is  abundant  argument  that  it  were  well  we 
were  not  so  forward  to  refuse  communion  with  dis- 
senting persons  upon  the  easy  and  confident  mis- 
takes of  a  too  forward  zeal.  Tliey  that  call  heretic 
may  themselves  be  the  mistaken  persons;  and  by 
refusing  to  communicate  the  civilities  of  hospitable 
entertainment,  may  shut  their  doors  upon  truth, 
and  their  windows  against  light,  and  refuse  to  let 
salvation  in.  For  sometimes  ignorance  is  the  only 
parent  of  our  persuasions;  and  many  times  inte- 
rest hath  made  an  impure  commixture  with  it,  and 
so  produced  the  issue. 

4.  The    holv   .Jt'sus    jjentlv   insinuates    hi?  dis- 


THt    WOMAN    OF    SAMARIA.  97 

courses.  '  If  thou  liudst  known  who  it  is  that  tosks 
thee  water,  thou  wouldst  have  asked  water  of  him.' 
Oftentimes  we  know  not  tlie  person  tiiat  speaks, 
.ind  we  usualh'  clioose  our  doctrine  by  our  affec- 
tions to  the  man  ;  but  then,  if  we  are  uncivil  upon 
the  stock  of  prejudice,  we  do  not  know  tiiat  it  is 
Clirist  tliat  calls  our  understandings  to  obedience, 
And  our  affections  to  duty  and  compliances.  Tlie 
woman  little  tliought  of  the  glories  which  stood 
right  against  her.  He  that  sat  upon  the  well,  had 
a  throne  placed  above  the  heads  of  cherubims.  In 
his  arms  wlio  there  rested  himself  was  the  sanc- 
tuary of  rest  and  peace,  where  wearied  souls  were 
to  lay  their  heads,  and  dispose  their  cares,  and 
there  to  turn  them  into  joys,  and  to  gild  their  thorns 
with  glory.  That  holy  tongue  which  was  parched 
«ilh  heat,  streamed  forth  rivulets  of  holy  doctrine, 
which  were  to  water  all  the  world,  to  turn  our  de- 
serts into  j)aradise.  And  though  he  begged  water 
at  .lacob's  well,  yet  Jacob  drank  at  his:  for  at  his 
charge  allJacob's  flocks  and  family  were  sustained, 
and  by  him  Jacob's  posterity  were  made  honour- 
able and  redeemed.  But  because  this  '  well  was 
deep,"  and  the  woman  '  had  nothing  to  draw  water 
with,'  and  of  herself  could  not  fathom  so  great  a 
depth,  tl.erefore  she  refused  him;  just  as  we  do, 
when  we  refuse  to  give  drink  to  a  thirsty  disciple. 
Christ  comes  in  that  humble  manner  of  address, 
under  the  veil  of  jwverty  or  contempt ;  and  we  can- 
not see  Christ  from  under  that  robe,  and  we  send 
him  away  without  an  alms:  little  considering,  that 
when  he  begs  an  alms  of  us,  in  the  instance  of  any 
of  his  poor  relatives,  he  asks  of  us  but  to  give  him 
occasion  to  give  a  blessing  for  an  alms.  Thus  do 
thp  ministers  ff  religion  ask  support  ;  but  ^^hen  llje 

VOL.    II.  7 


OS  JtSl  >>'.s    COMEKKNlIi    WITH 

hiwsare  not  more  just  than  many  of  the  j)eople  are 
tharitable,  they  shall  fare  as  their  Master  did  :  they 
hhall  preach,  but  unless  they  can  draw  water  them- 
selves, they  shall  not  drink.  But,  si  scirenf,  if  men 
did  but  know  who  it  is  that  asks  them,  that  it  is 
Christ,  either  in  his  ministers,  or  Christ  in  his  poor 
servants,  certainly  they  could  not  be  so  obstructed 
in  tiie  issues  of  their  justice  and  charity  ;  but  would 
remember,  that  no  honour  could  be  greater,  no  love 
more  fortunate,  than  to  meet  with  an  opportunity 
to  be  expressed  in  so  noble  a  manner,  that  God 
himself  is  pleased  to  call  his  own  relief. 

5.  When  the  disciples  had  returned  from  the 
lown,  whither  they  went  to  buy  provision,  they 
wondered  to  see  the  Master  talking  alone  with 
tlie  woman.  They  knew  he  never  did  so  before  ; 
they  had  observed  him  to  be  of  a  reserved  deport- 
ment, and  not  only  innocent,  but  secure  from  the 
dangers  of  malice  and  susj)icion,  in  the  matter  Oi 
incontinence.  The  Jews  were  a  jealous  and  i'ro- 
ward  people;  and  as  nothing  will  more  blast  the 
reputation  of  a  prophet  tlian  effeminacy  anil  wan- 
ton affections,  so  lie  knew  no  crime  was  sooner  ob- 
jected or  harder  cleared  than  that:  of  which,  be- 
cause commonly  it  is  acted  in  privacy,  men  look 
for  no  probation,  but  pregnant  circumstances  and 
arguments  of  suspect;  so  nothing  can  wash  it  oft", 
until  a  man  can  prove  a  negative  :  and  if  he  could, 
yet  he  is  guilty  enough  in  the  estimate  of  the  vulgar 
for  having  been  accused.  But  then,  because  no- 
thing is  so  destructive  of  the  reputation  of  a  gover- 
nor, so  contradictory  to  the  authority  and  dignity 
of  iiis  person,  as  the  low  and  baser  appetites  of  un- 
cleanness,  and  tiie  consequent  shame  and  scorn  ; 
finsonuuh  Uitit  l)a\id,  having  fallen  into  it,  prayed 


Tin.    WOMAN    OF    BAMARU.  99 

God  to  confirm  or  establish  him  spirifii  principali, 
witli  the  spirit  of  a  prince,  the  spirit  of  lust  being 
uninj^eniious  and  shivish  ;)  the  holy  Jesus,  who  was 
to  establish  a  new  law  in  tiie  authority  of  his  per- 
son, was  highly  curious  so  to  demean  himself,  that 
he  might  be  a  j)erson  incapable  of  any  such  sus- 
picions, and  of  a  temper  apt  not  only  to  answer  the 
calumny,  but  also  to  prevent  the  jealousy.  But 
yet,  now  he  had  a  great  design  in  hand,  he  meant 
to  reveal  to  the  Samaritans  the  coming  of  the  Mes- 
bias  ;  and  to  this  his  discourse  with  the  woman  was 
instrumental.  And  in  imitation  of  our  great  Mas- 
ter, spiritual  persons,  and  the  guides  of  othei*s  have 
been  very  prudent  and  reserved  in  their  societies 
and  intercourse  with  women.  Heretics  have 
served  tiieir  ends  upon  ihe  impotency  of  the  sex, 
and  having  '  led  captive  silly  women,'  led  them 
about  as  triumphs  of  lust;  and  knew  no  scandal 
greater  than  the  scandal  of  heresy,  and  therefore 
sought  not  to  decline  any,  but  were  infamous  in 
their  unwary  and  lustful  mixtures.  Simon  Magus 
had  his  Helena  partner  of  his  lust  and  heresy  ;  the 
autlior  of  the  sect  of  the  Nicolaitans  (if  St.  .Jerome 
was  not  misinformed)  had  troops  of  women;  Mar- 
cion  sent  a  woman  as  his  emissary  to  Home ; 
Apelles  had  his  Philomene  ;  Montanus,  Prisca  and 
Maximilla;  Donatus  was  served  by  liucilla ;  Elpi- 
dius  by  Agape,  Priscillian  byCJalUi;  and  Arius 
spreads  his  nets  by  opportunity  of  his  conversation 
with  the  prince's  sister,  and  first  he  corrupted  her, 
then  he  seduced  tiie  world. 

6.  But  holy  persons,  preachers  of  true  religion 
and  holy  doctrines,  although  they  were  careful  by 
public  homilies  to  instruct  the  female  disciples 
that  they  wijo  aie  heirs  together  with  us  of  the  same 


100  JESUS'S    CONFERENCE    WITH 

hope,  may  be  servants  in  the  same  discipline  and 
institution ;  yet  they  remitted  them  to  their  hus- 
bands and  guardians,  to  be  taught  at  home.'  And 
when  any  personal  transactions  concerning  the 
needs  of  their  spirit  were  of  necessity  to  intervene 
between  the  priest  and  a  woman,  the  action  was 
done  most  commonly  under  public  test,  or  if  in 
private,  yet  with  much  caution  and  observation 
of  circumstance,  which  might  as  well  prevent  sus- 
picion, as  preserve  their  innocence.  Conversation 
and  frequent  and  familiar  address  does  too  much 
rille  the  ligaments  and  reverence  of  spiritual  au- 
thority, and  amongst  the  best  persons  is  matter  of 
danger.  When  the  cedars  ofliibanus  have  been  ob- 
served to  fall,  when  David  and  Solomon  have  been 
dishonoured,  he  is  a  bold  man  that  will  venture 
lurther  than  he  is  sent  in  an  errand  bj^  necessity,  or 
invited  by  charity,  or  warranted  by  prudence.  I 
deny  not  but  some  persons  have  made  holy  friend- 
ships with  women  :  St.  Athanasius  with  a  devout 
and  religious  virgin,  St.  Chrysostom  with  Olympia, 
St.  Jerome  with  Paula  Romana,  St.  John  with  the 
elect  lady,  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  with  Petronilla 
and  Thecia.  And  therefore  it  were  a  jejtlousy  be- 
yond the  suspicion  of  monks  and  eunuchs,  to  think  it 
impossible  to  have  a  chaste  conversation  with  a  dis- 
tinct sex.  1,  A  pure  and  right  intention;  2,  an  inter- 
course not  extended  beyond  necessity  or  holy  ends; 
3,  a  short  stay ;  4,  great  modesty ;  o,  and  tiie  business 
of  religion,  will  by  God's  grace  hallow  the  visit, 
and  preserve  the  friendship  in  its  being  spiritual, 
that  it  may  not  degenerate  into  carnal  affection. 
And  yet  these  are  only  advices  useful  when  there  i« 

•  '  Cor.  xiv,  35. 


rut;   w.iMvN    OF  s\M'.nn.  \0[ 

danj^er  in  either  of  the  pei-sons,  or  some  scamhil 
incident  to  the  profession,  that  to  somo  persons  and 
in  the  conjunction  of  many  circumstances  are  often- 
times not  considerable. 

7.  When  Jesus  had  resolved  to  reveal  himself  to 
the  woman,  he  first  gives  her  occasion  to  reveal 
herself  to  him,  fairly  insinuating  an  opportunity  to 
confess  her  sins,  that  having  ])urged  herself  from 
her  impurity,  she  might  be  apt  to  entertain  the 
article  of  the  revelation  of  the  Messias.  And  in- 
deed a  crime  in  our  manners  is  the  greatest  indis- 
position of  our  understanding  to  entertain  the  truth 
and  doctrine  of  the  gospel ;  especially  when  the 
revelation  contests  against  the  sin,  and  professes 
open  hostility  to  the  lust :  for  faith  being  the  gift 
of  God  and  an  illumination,  the  Spirit  of  God 
will  not  give  this  light  to  them  that  prefer  their 
darkness  before  it;  either  the  will  must  open  the 
windows,  or  the  light  of  faith  will  not  shine  into 
the  chamber  of  the  soul.  '  How  can  ye  believe, 
(said  our  blessed  Saviour)  that  receive  honour  one 
of  another?'  Ambition  and  faith,  believing  God 
and  seeking  of  ourselves,  are  incompetent  and  to- 
tally incompossible.  And  therefore  Serapion,  bi- 
shop ofThmuis, spake  like  an  angel,  (saith  Socrates,) 
saying,  "  That  the  mind  w  hich  feedeth  upon  spi- 
ritual knowledge  must  thoroughly  be  cleansed. 
The  irascible  faculty  must  first  be  cured  with  bro- 
therly love  and  charity,  and  the  concu|)iscil.le  must 
be  suppressed  with  contineiicy  and  mortificalion."* 
Then  may  the  understanding  ajtprehenil  the  mys- 
teriousness  of  Christianity  :  for  since  Christianity 
u*  a  holy  doctrine,  if  there  be  any  remanent  affec- 

'  John,  V.  41.  I.  1 .     .  Ilisu  ».  xxiii. 


102  JF.SUS'S    CONFP.RF.NCE    WITH 

*ions  to  a  sin,  there  is  in  tlie  soul  a  party  disaffected 
'^o  the  entertainment  of  the  institution,  and  we 
usually  believe  what  we  have  a  mind  to.  Our  un- 
derstanding's, if  a  crime  be  Iodised  in  the  will, 
bein<?  like  icterical  eyes,  transmitting  the  species  to 
the  soul  with  prejudice,  disaffection,  and  colours  ot 
their  own  framing.  If  a  preacher  should  discourse 
that  there  ought  to  be  a  parity  amongst  Christians, 
and  that  their  goods  ought  to  be  in  common,  all 
men  will  apprehend  that  not  princes  and  rich  per- 
sons, but  the  poor  and  the  servants,  woul  I  soonest 
become  the  disciples,  and  believe  the  doctrines, 
because  they  are  the  only  persons  likely  to  get  by 
them  :  and  it  concerns  the  other  not  to  believe  him, 
the  doctrine  being  destructive  of  their  interests. 
Just  such  a  persuasion  is  every  persevering  love  to 
a  vicious  habit ;  it  having  possessed  the  under- 
standing with  fair  opinions  of  it,  and  surprised  the 
will  with  passion  and  desires,  whatsoever  doctrine 
is  its  enemy  will  with  infinite  difficulty  be  enter- 
tained. And  we  know  a  great  experience  of  it  in 
the  article  of  the  Messias  dying  on  the  cross,  which 
though  infinitely  true,  yet,  because  '  to  I  lie  Jews  it 
was  a  scandal,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness,'  it 
could  not  be  believed,  they  remaining  in  that  indis- 
position; that  is,  unless  the  will  were  first  set 
right,  and  they  willing  to  believe  any  truth,  though 
for  it  they  must  disclaim  tlieir  interest.  Their  un- 
derstanding was  blind,  because  the  heart  was  hard- 
ened, and  could  not  receive  the  impression  of  tlie 
greatest  moral  demonstration  in  the  world. 

8.  The  holy  Jesus  asked  water  of  the  woman,  un- 
eatisfyjng  water;  but  promised  that  himself,  to 
them  tiial  ask  him,  would  give  waters  of  life,  and 
satisfaction  infinite:  so  distinguishing  the  pleasures 


HIE    \\(»>I.VN     (»P    SAMARIA.  103 

ond  appetites  of  this  world  from  the  desires  and 
complacencies  spiritual.  Here  we  labour,  but  re- 
ceive no  benefit;  we  sow  many  times,  and  reap 
not;  or  reap,  and  do  not  g'ather  in  ;  or  ejather  in, 
and  do  not  possess;  or  possess,  but  do  not  enjoy; 
or  if  we  enjoy  we  are  still  unsatisfcjd,  it  is  with 
anguish  of  spirit  and  circumstances  of  vexation. 
A  oreat  heap  of  riches  makes  neithet  cur  clothes 
warm,  nor  our  meat  more  nutritive,  r.or  our  beve- 
rage more  pleasant ;  and  it  feeds  the  eye,  but 
never  fills  it,  but,  like  drink  to  an  hydropic  person, 
increases  the  thirst,  and  promotes  the  torment. 
But  the  grace  of  God,  though  but  like  a  grain  ot 
mustard-seed,  fills  the  furrows  of  the  heart;  and  as 
the  capacity  increases,  itself  grows  up  in  equal  de- 
grees, and  never  suffers  any  emptiness  or  dissatis- 
faction, but  carries  content  and  fulness  all  the  way  : 
and  the  degrees  of  augmentation  are  not  steps  and 
near  approaches  to  satisfaction,  but  increasings  ot 
the  capacity  :  the  soul  is  satisfied  all  the  way,  and 
receives  more,  not  because  it  wanted  any,  but  that 
it  can  now  hold  more,  is  more  receptive  of  felici- 
ties. And  in  every  minute  of  sanctification  there 
is  so  excellent  a  condition  of  joy  and  high  satisfac- 
tion, that  the  very  calamities,  the  afflictions  and 
persecutions  of  the  world  are  turned  into  felicities 
by  the  activity  of  the  prevailing  ingredient;  like  a 
drop  of  water  falling  into  a  tun  of  wine,  it  is  as- 
cribed into  a  new  family,  losing  its  own  nature  by 
a  conversion  into  the  more  noble  :  for  now  that  all 
passionate  desires  are  dead,  and  there  is  nothing 
remanent  ihat  is  vexatious,  the  peace,  the  serenity, 
the  quiet  slee|>s,  the  evenness  of  spirit,  and  contempt 
of  tilings  below,  remove  the  soul  from  all  neigh- 
bourhood of  displeasure,  and  place  itatthe  footofthe 


104  THE    PRAYER. 

ihrone,  wliilher  when  it  is  ascended,  it  is  possessed 
of  felicities  eternal.  These  were  the  waters  which 
were  given  us  to  drink,  when  with  the  rod  of  God 
the  rock  Christ  Jesus  was  smitten.  The  Spirit  of 
God  moves  for  ever  upon  these  waters  :  and  when 
the  angel  of  the  covenant  hath  stirred  the  pool, 
whoever  descends  hither  shall  find  health  and 
peace,  joys  spiritual,  and  the  satisfactions  of  eter- 
nity. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  holy  .Tesus,  fountain  of  eternal  life,  thou  spring  of  joy  and 
jpiritual  satisfactions,  let  the  holy  stream  of  blood  and  water 
issuing  from  thy  sacred  side  cool  the  thirst,  soften  the  hardness, 
ind  refresh  the  barrenness  of  my  desert  soul ;  that  I,  thirsting 
ifter  thee,  as  the  wearied  hart  after  the  cool  stream,  may  despise 
ill  the  vainer  complacencies  of  this  world,  refuse  all  societies 
Dut  such  as  are  safe,  pious,  and  charitable,  mortify  all  sottish 
ippetites,  and  may  desire  nothing  but  thee,  seek  none  but  thee, 
md  rest  in  thee  with  entire  dereliction  of  my  own  caiiive  inclina- 
.ions ;  that  the  desires  of  nature  may  pass  into  desires  of  grace, 
ind  my  thirst  and  my  hunger  may  be  spiritual,  and  my  hopes 
placed  in  thee,  and  the  expresses  of  my  charity  upon  thy  rela- 
:ives,  and  all  the  parts  of  my  life  may  speak  my  love  and  obe- 
.lience  to  thy  commandments  :  that  thou  possessing  my  soul  and 
ill  its  faculties  during  my  whole  life,  I  may  possess  thy  glories 
.n  the  fruition  of  a  blessed  eternity  ;  by  the  light  of  thy  gospel 
lere  and  the  streams  of  thy  grace  being  guided  to  thee,  the  foun- 
tain of  life  and  glory,  there  to  be  inebriated  with  the  waters  of 
['aradise,  with  joy,  and  love,  and  contemplation,  adoring  and 
ulmiring  the  beauties  of  the  Lord  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 


CHRlSl's    FIRST    PREACHINO.  10.5 


Considerations  upon  Christ's  first  Preaching,  and  the 
Accidents  happening  about  that  time. 

1.  When  John  was  cast  into  prison,  then  bef!;an 
Jt'sus  to  preach  ;  not  only  because  the  ministry  of 
John,  by. order  of  divine  designation,  was  to  pre- 
cede the  publication  of  Jesus,  but  also  upon  pru- 
tk'iil  considerations  and  designs  of  Providence,  lest 
two  greut  personages  at  once  upon  the  theatre  of 
I'.destine  might  have  been  occasion  of  divided 
thoughts,  and  these  have  determined  upon  a  schism, 
some  professing  themselves  to  be  of  Christ,  some  of 
John;  for  once  an  offer  was  made  of  a  dividing 
question,  by  the  s[)ite  of  the  Pharisees:  '  Why  do 
the  disciples  of  John  fast  often,  and  thy  disciples 
fust  not  ?'  But  when  John  went  off  from  the  scene, 
then  Jesus  appeared  like  the  sun  in  succession  to 
the  morning  star;  and  there  were  no  divided  inter- 
ests upon  mistake,  or  the  fond  adherences  of  the 
followers.  And  although  the  holy  Jesus  would 
certainly  have  cured  all  accidental  inconveniences 
which  might  have  happened  in  such  accidents,  yet 
this  may  become  a  precedent  to  all  prelates,  to  he 
])rudent  in  avoiding  all  occasions  of  a  schism,  and 
rather  than  divide  a  people,  submit  and  relinquish 
an  opportunity  o'"  preaching  to  their  inferiors,  as 
knowing  that  God  is  better  served  by  charity  than 
a  homily;  and  if  my  modesty  made  me  resign  to 
my  inferior,  the  advantages  of  honour  to  God  by 
the  cessions  of  humility  are  of  greater  consideration 
than  the  smaller  and  accidental  advantages  of  bet- 
ter-penned auii  more  accurate  discourses.  But  our 
bles>ed  Lord,  designing  to  gather  disciples,  did  It 
in  tl'.e  manner  of  the  more  extraordinary  persou* 


106  CONSIDERATIONS    UPON 

and  (lociors  of  tlie  Jews,  and  particularly  of  the 
Baptist:  he  initiated  tliem  into  llie  institution  by 
the  solemnity  of  a  baptism  ;  but  yet  he  was  pleased 
not  to  minister  it  in  his  own  person.  His  apos- 
tles were  baptized  in  John's  baptism,  said  Tertul 
lian  ; '  or  else  St.  Peter  only  was  baptized  by  his 
Lord,  and  he  baptized  the  rest.  However,  the  Lord 
was  pleased  to  depute  the  ministry  of  his  servants, 
that  so  he  might  constitute  a  ministry  ;  that  he 
might  reserve  it  to  himself  as  a  speciality  to  bap- 
tize with  the  Spirit,  as  his  servants  did  with  water; 
that  he  might  declare  that  the  efficacy  of  tlie  rite 
did  not  depend  upon  the  dignity  of  the  minister, 
but  his  own  institution  and  the  holy  covenant ;  and 
lastly,  lest  they  who  were  baptized  by  him  in  per- 
son might  please  themselves  above  their  brethren, 
whose  needs  were  served  by  a  lower  ministry. 

•2.  The  holy  Jesus,  the  great  physician  of  our 
souls,  now  entering  upon  his  cure  and  the  diocess 
of  Palestine,  which  was  afterwards  enlarged  to  the 
pale  of  the  catholic  church,  was  curious  to  observe 
all  advantages  of  prudence  for  the  benefit  of  souls, 
by  the  choice  of  place  ;  by  quilting  the  place  of  his 
education,  which,  because  it  had  been  poor  and 
humble,  was  apt  to  procure  contempt  to  his  doc- 
trine, and  despite  to  his  person;  by  fixing  in  Caper- 
naum, which  had  the  advantage  of  popularity,  and 
the  opportunity  (f  extending  the  benefit,  yet  had 
not  the  honour  and  ambition  of  Jerusalem  ;  that 
the  ministers  of  religion  might  be  taught  to  seek 
and  desire  employment  in  such  circumstances 
which  may  serve  the  end  of  God,  but  not  of  ambi- 
tion ;  to  promote  the  interest  of  souls,  but  not  tha 

'  liib.  de  Baptism. 


(  hristN  rrRST  pi!FAcm\(i.  107 

Inonlinalion  <>('  lower  appetites.  Jesus  quitted  his 
natural  and  civil  interests,  wlien  they  were  less 
consistent  with  the  end  of  Ciod  and  his  prophetical 
office ;  and  considered  not  his  mother's  house  and 
the  vicinage  in  the  accounts  of  relip^ion,  beyonrl 
iho.'.e  other  places  in  which  he  miLjIit  better  do  his 
Father's  work.  In  which  a  forward  piety  mi grht  lie- 
hold  llie  insinuation  of  a  duty  to  such  persons,  who 
by  rii^ivts  of  law  and  custom  were  so  far  instru- 
mental to  the  cure  of  souls,  as  to  desi'^n  the  per- 
sons ;  they  might  do  but  duty  if  they  first  consi- 
dered the  interests  of  souls  before  the  advantaj^es 
of  their  kindred  and  relatives.  And  althouifli,  if 
all  thinfjs  else  l)e  alike,  they  may  in  equal  dispo- 
sitions prefer  their  own  before  strangers,  yet  it  were 
but  reason  that  they  should  first  consider  sadly  if 
the  men  be  equal,  before  they  remember  that  they 
are  of  their  kindred,  and  not  let  this  consideration 
be  an  ini^^redient  into  the  former  judgment.  And 
another  degree  of  liberty  yet  there  is  :  if  our  kin- 
dred be  persons  apt  and  holy,  and  without  excep- 
tions eitiier  of  law,  or  prudence,  or  religion,  we 
may  do  them  advantages  before  others  who  have 
some  degrees  of  learning  and  im))rovement  beyond 
the  other:  or  else  no  man  might  lawfully  prefer  his 
kindred,  unless  they  were  absolutely  the  alilest  in  a 
diocess  or  kingdom  ;  which  doctrine  were  a  snare; 
apt  to  produce  scruples  to  the  consciences  rather 
than  advantages  to  the  cure.  But  then  also  pa- 
trons should  be  careful  that  they  do  not  account 
their  clerks  by  an  estimate  taken  from  comparison 
with  unworthy  candidates,  set  up  on  purpose,  that 
when  we  choose  our  kindred,  we  may  abuse  our 
consciences,  by  saying,  we  have  fulfilled  our  trust, 
and  made  election  of  the  more  worthy.     In  these 


H>S  CONSIDFKATION'S    I  PON 

and  the  Jike  cases,  let  every  man  who  is  concerned 
deal  with  justice,  nobleness,  and  sincerity,  with  the 
simplicity  of  a  Christian,  and  the  wisdom  of  a  man; 
without  tricks  and  stratagen)s,  to  disadvantage  the 
church  by  doing  temj)oral  advantages  to  his  friend 
or  family. 

3.  The  blessed  Master  began  his  office  with  a  ser- 
mon of  repentance,  as  his  decessor,  John  the  Bap- 
tist, did  in  his  ministration  ;  to  tell  the  world  that 
the  new  covenant,  which  was  to  be  established  by 
the  mediation  and  office  of  the  holy  Jesus,  was  a 
covenant  of  grace  and  favour,  not  established  upon 
works,  but  upon  promises,  and  remission  of  right 
on  God's  part,  and  remission  of  sins  on  our  part. 
The  law  was  a  covenant  of  works;  and  whoever 
prevaricated  any  of  its  sanctions  in  a  considerable 
degree,  he  stood  sentenced  by  it  without  any  hopes 
of  restitution  supplied  by  the  law.  And  therefore 
it  was  the  covenant  of  works,  not  because  good 
works  were  then  required  more  than  now,  or  be- 
cause they  had  more  efficacy  than  now  ;  but  be- 
cause all  our  hopes  did  rely  upon  the  perfection  of 
works  and  innocence,  without  the  suppletories  of 
grace,  pardon,  and  repentance.  But  the  gospel  is 
therefore  a  covenant  of  grace,  not  that  works  are 
excluded  from  our  duty,  or  iVom  co-operating  to 
heaven,  l)ut  that,  because  there  is  in  it  so  much 
mercy,  the  imperfections  of  the  works  are  made  up 
by  the  grace  of  Jesus,  and  the  defects  of  innocence 
are  supplied  by  the  substitution  of  repentance. 
Abatements  are  made  for  the  infirmities  and  mise- 
ries of  liumanity  ;  and  if  we  do  our  endeavour  now, 
after  the  manner  of  men,  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 
that  is,  conformity  to  his  laws,  and  submission  to 
tiis  doctrine,  entitles  us  to  the  grace  he  hath  pur- 


CIIRISI'S    FJR^T    l'Ri;\(HISQ.  lUy 

chnseil  foi'  ns ;  that  is,  our  sins  fur  his  sake  shull  be 
pardoneil.  So  that  the  law  ami  the  tjospel  are  not 
opposed  barely  upon  the  title  of  failh  and  works, 
but  as  the  covenant  of  failh  and  the  covenant  of 
works.  In  tht  faith  of  a  Christian  works  are  the 
j;reat  inj;redient  anil  the  chief  of  the  constitution  ; 
but  the  gospel  is  not  a  covenant  of  works  ;  that  is, 
it  is  not  an  agreement  upon  the  stock  of  innocence 
without  allowances  of  repentance,  requiring  obe- 
dience in  rigour  and  strictest  estimate.  But  the 
gospel  requires  the  holiness  of  a  Christian,  and  yet 
after  the  manner  of  a  man :  for,  always  provided 
that  we  tlo  not  allow  to  ourselves  a  liberty,  but  en- 
deavour with  all  our  strength,  and  love  with  all  our 
soul,  that  which,  if  it  were  upon  our  allowance, 
would  be  required  at  our  hands,  now  that  it  is 
against  our  will,  and  liighly  contested  against,  is 
put  upon  the  stock  of  Christ,  and  allowed  to  us  by 
God  in  the  accounts  of  pardon  by  the  merits  ol 
Jesus,  by  the  covenant  of  the  gospel.  And  this  is 
the  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  which  John 
first  preached  upon  the  approximation  of  the  king- 
dom, and  Christ  at  the  first  manifestation  of  it,  and 
the  apostles  afterward  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 

4.  Jesus  now  having  begun  his  preaching,  began 
also  to  gather  iiis  family  ;  and  first  calletl  Simon 
and  Andrew,  then  James  and  John  ;  at  whose  vo- 
cation he  wrought  a  miracle,  which  was  a  signifi- 
cation of  their  ofVue,  and  the  success  of  it;  a 
draught  of  fishes  so  great  and  prodigious,  that  it 
convinced  them  that  he  was  a  person  very  extraor- 
dinary, whose  voice  the  fishes  heard,  and  came  at 
his  call  :  and  since  he  designed  them  to  become 
fishers  of  men,  although  themselves  were  as  un- 
likely instruments  to  persuade  men  as  the  voice  of 


110  CONSIDERATIONS    L  PoN 

(lie  Son  of  man  to  command  fishes,  yet  they  felioiild 
prevail  in  so  threat  numbers,  tliat  the  whole  world 
should  run  after  them,  and  upon  their  summons 
come  into  the  net  of  the  gospel,  l)ecoming  disciples 
of  the  glorious  Nazarene.  St.  Peter,  the  first  time 
that  he  threw  his  net,  at  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  Pentecost,  catched  tliree  tliousand  men  ; 
and  at  one  sermon  sometimes  the  princes  of  a  na- 
tion have  been  converted,  and  the  whole  land  |)re- 
sently  baptized;  and  the  multitudes  so  great,  that 
the  apostles  were  forced  to  design  some  men  to 
the  ministration  of  baptism,  by  way  of  peculiar 
office;  and  it  grew  to  be  work  enougii,  the  easiness 
of  the  ministry  being  made  bus)'^  and  full  of  em- 
ployment where  a  whole  nation  became  disciples 
And  indeed  the  doctrine  is  so  holy,  the  principle 
so  divine,  the  instruments  so  supernatural,  the  pro- 
mises so  glorious,  the  revelation  so  admirable,  the 
rites  so  mysterious,  the  whole  fabric  of  the  disci- 
pline so  full  of  wisdom,  persuasion,  and  ene  gy, 
that  the  infinite  numliers  of  the  first  conversions 
were  not  so  great  a  wonder,  as  that  there  are  so 
few  now :  every  man  calling  himself  Christian, 
but  few  having  that  power  of  godliness  which  dis- 
tinguishes Christian  from  a  word  and  an  empty 
name.  And  the  word  is  now  the  same,  and  the 
arguments  greater,  (for  some  have  been  growing 
ever  since,  as  the  j)rophecies  have  been  fulfilled,) 
and  the  sermons  more,  and  the  spirit  the  same; 
and  yet  such  diversity  of  operations,  that  we  hear 
and  read  the  sermons  and  dictates  evangelical,  as 
we  do  a  romance,  but  that  it  is  with  less  passion, 
but  altogetlier  as  much  unconcerned  as  with  a 
story  of  Salmanasur  or  Ibrahim  Bassa.  For  we  do 
not  leave  one  vice,  nor  reject  one  lust,  nor  deny 


Christ's  first  preachi.mj.  Ill 

one  impetuous  temptation  the  more  for  the  four 
gospels'  sake,  and  all  St.  Paul's  epistles  ming^led 
in  the  argument.  And  yet  all  think  themselves 
fishes  within  Christ's  net,  and  the  prey  of  the 
gospel.  And  it  is  true  they  are  so  ;  for  '  the  king- 
dom is  like  unto  a  net,  which  inclosed  fislies  good 
and  bad:'  but  this  shall  be  of  small  advantage, 
when  the  net  shall  be  drawn  to  tiie  shore,  and  the 
separation  made. 

5.  When  Jesus  called  those  disciples,  they  had 
been  '  fishing  all  night  and  caught  nothing;'  but 
when  Christ  bade  them  '  let  down  the  net,'  they  took 
multitudes:  to  show  to  us  that  the  success  of  our 
endeavours  is  not  in  proportion  to  our  labours,  but 
the  divine  assistance  and  benediction.  It  is  not 
the  excellency  of  the  instrument,  but  the  capacity 
of  tlie  subject,  nor  yet  this  alone,  but  the  aptness 
of  the  application,  nor  that  without  an  influence 
from  heaven,  can  produce  the  fruits  of  a  lioly  per- 
suasion and  conversion.  '  Paul  may  plant,  and 
ApoUos  may  water;  but  God  gives  the  increase.' 
Indeed,  when  we  let  down  the  nets  at  the  divine 
aj)pointment,  the  success  is  the  more  [)robable, 
and  certainly  God  will  bring  benefit  to  the  place, 
or  honour  to  himself,  or  salvation  to  them  that  will 
obey,  or  conviction  to  them  tliat  will  not :  but 
whatever  the  fruit  be  in  respect  of  others,  the  re- 
ward shall  be  great  to  themselves.  And  therefore 
St.  Paul  did  not  say  he  had  j)rofited,  but,  '  he  had 
labouretl  more  than  they  all,'  as  knowing  the  di- 
vine acceptance  would  take  its  account  in  propor- 
tion to  our  endeavours  and  intendments ;  not  by 
commensu ration  to  the  eflecl,  which  being  without 
us,  depencMng  upon  (iod's  blessing  and  the  co-ope- 
ration of  the  recipients,  can  be  no  ingredient  into 


112  CUNSIDFHATIONS    UPo" 

our  account.  But  this  also  may  hel|)  to  support 
the  weariness  of  our  hopes,  and  the  protraction 
and  deferring  of  our  expectation,  if  a  laborious 
prelate  and  an  assiduous  preacher  have  but  few 
returns  to  his  many  cares  and  greater  labours.  A 
whole  niglit  a  man  may  labour,  (the  longest  life  is 
no  other,)  and  yet  catch  nothing;  and  then  the 
Lord  may  visit  us  with  his  special  presence,  and 
more  forward  assistance,  and  the  harvest  may  grow 
up  with  the  swiftness  of  a  gourd,  and  the  fruitful- 
ness  of  olives,  and  the  plaisance  of  the  vine,  and 
the  strength  of  wheat ;  and  whole  troops  of  peni- 
tents may  arise  from  the  darkness  of  their  graves  at 
the  call  of  one  sermon,  even  when  he  pleases :  and 
till  then  we  must  be  content  that  we  do  our  duty, 
and  lay  the  consideration  of  the  effect  at  the  feet 
of  Jesus. 

(>.  In  the  days  of  the  patriarchs,  the  governors  of 
the  Lord's  people  were  called  shepherds  ;  so  was 
Moses,  and  so  was  David.  In  the  days  of  the 
gospel  they  are  shepherds  still,  but  with  ihe  addi- 
tion of  a  new  ap|)ellative,  for  now  they  are  called 
fishers.  Both  the  callings  were  honest,  humble 
and  laborious,  watchful  and  full  of  trouble  ;  but 
now  that  both  the  titles  are  conjunct,  we  may  ob- 
serve the  symbol  of  an  implicit  and  folded  duty. 
There  is  much  simplicity  and  care  in  the  shep- 
herd's trade ;  there  is  much  craft  and  labour  in 
the  fisher's  :  and  a  prelate  is  to  be  both  full  of 
piety  to  his  flock,  and  careful  of  their  welfare; 
and,  because  in  the  political  and  spiritual  sense  too, 
feeding  and  governing  are  the  same  duty,  it  con- 
cerns them  that  have  cure  of  souls  to  be  discreet 
and  wary,  observant  of  advantages,  laying  such 
baits  for  the  people   as   may  entice  them  into  the 


CUIUS  IS    IlR^l     rREAtlllNQ.  113 

nets  of  Jesus's  (liiici|jliue.  'But  being  crallj'  I 
c:iuf2^ht  you,'  sailh  ist.  Paul,  for  he  was  a  fisher  too. 
And  so  must  spiritual  persons  be  fishers  to  all  spi- 
ritual senses  of  watchfulness,  anil  care,  and  pru- 
dence: only  ihey  must  not  fish  for  preferment  and 
ambitious  purposes,  but  must  say  with  the  king  of 
Sodom,  Date  nobis  animus,  eastern  ros  toHUe  ;  \\  hich 
St.  Paul  renders,  '  We  seek  not  yours,  but  you.' 
And  in  order  to  such  acquist,  the  purchase  of  souls, 
let  tliem  have  the  diligence  and  the  ciaft  of  the 
fisliers,  tlie  \v ate! i fulness  and  tare  of  shepherds,  the 
prudence  of  politics,  the  tenderness  of  parents,  the 
bj)iiit  of  j;overnment,  the  wariness  ol'  observation, 
great  knowledge  of  the  dispositions  of  their  people, 
and  experience  of  such  advantages  by  means  of 
which  they  may  serve  the  ends  of  God  and  of  sal- 
vation upon  their  souls. 

7.  When  Peter  liad  received  the  fruits  of  a 
rich  miracle,  in  the  prodigious  and  prosperous 
thaught  of  fishes,  he  instantly  'falls  down  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus,'  and  confesses  himself  a  sinner,  and 
unworthy  the  presence  of  Christ.  In  which  con- 
fession I  not  only  consider  the  conviction  of  his 
understanding  by  the  testimony  of  the  miracle, 
but  the  modesty  of  his  spirit,  who  in  his  exalta- 
tion, and  the  joy  of  a  sudden  and  happy  success, 
retired  into  humility  and  consideration  of  his  own 
nn worthiness  ;  lest,  as  it  happens  in  sudden  joys, 
the  lavishness  of  his  spirit  shouUl  transport  him  to 
intemperance,  to  looser  affections,  to  vanity  and 
'-arishness,  less  becoming  the  severity  and  govern- 
ment c>f  a  disciple  of  so  great  a  master.  For  in 
8ucli  great  and  sudden  accidents,  men  usually  are 
dissolved  and  melted  into  joy  and  inconsideration, 
and  let  fly  all  their  severe  principles  and  discipline 

v<n  .  II.  s 


114  CONSfDERATIONS    ON 

of  manners,  till,  as  Peter  here  did,  though  to  ano- 
ther purpose,  they  say  to  Christ,  '  Depart  from  me, 
O  Lord:'  as  if  such  excellencies  of  joys,  like  the 
lesser  stars,  did  disappear  at  the  presence  of  him, 
who  is  the  fountain  of  all  joys  regular  and  juat. 
When  the  spirits  of  the  body  have  been  bound  up 
by  the  cold  winter  air,  the  warmth  of  the  sprini;- 
makes  so  great  an  aperture  of  the  passages,  and 
l»y  consequence  such  dissolution  of  spirits,  in  the 
presence  of  the  sun,  that  it  becomes  the  occasion  of 
fevers  and  violent  diseases:  just  such  a  thing  is  a 
sudden  joy,  in  which  the  spirits  leap  out  from 
tlieir  cells  of  austerity  and  sobriety,  and  are 
warmed  into  fevers  and  wildnesses,  and  forfeiture 
of  all  judgment  and  vigorous  understanding.  In 
these  accidents  the  best  advice  is,  to  temper  and 
allay  our  joys  with  some  instant  consideration  of 
the  vilest  of  our  sins,'  the  shameful ness  of  our 
disgraces,  the  most  dolorous  accidents  of  our  lives, 
the  worst  of  our  fears,  with  meditation  of  death,  or 
the  terrors  of  doomsday,  or  the  unimaginable  mi- 
series of  damned  and  accursed  spirits.  For  such 
considerations  as  these  are  good  instruments  of  so- 
briety, and  are  correctives  to  the  malignity  of  ex- 
cessive joys  or  temporal  prosperities,  which,  like 
minerals,  unless  allayed  by  art,  prey  upon  the 
spirits,  and  become  the  union  of  a  contradiction, 
being  turned  into  mortal  medicines, 

8.  At  this  time  'Jesus  preached  to  the  people 
from  the  ship,'  which,  in  the  fancies  and  trnpital 
discourses  of  the  old  doctors,  signifies  the  church, 
and  declares  that  the  liomilies  of  order  and  autho- 
rity must  be  delivered   from  the  oracle  :  they  that 

Simul  et  quod  gaudes  et  quod  times  contrahe.     Senec;t. 


Christ's  first  preaching.  11/3 

preach  must  be  sent,  and  God  hath  appointed 
tutors  and  instructors  of  our  consciences  by  special 
designation  and  peculiar  appointment.  If  they 
that  preach  do  not  make  their  sermons  from  the 
ship,  their  discourses  either  are  the  false  murmurs 
of  hereiics  and  false  shepherds,  or  else  of  thieves 
and  invaders  of  authority,  or  corruj)ters  of  disci- 
pline and  order.  For  God,  that  loves  to  hear  us 
in  special  places,  will  also  be  heard  himself  by  spe- 
cial persons:  and  since  he  sent  his  angels  minis- 
ters to  convey  his  purposes  of  old,  then  when  '  the 
law  was  ordained  by  angels,  as  by  the  hands  of  a 
mediator;''  now  also  he  will  send  his  servants  the 
sons  of  men,  since  the  new  law  was  ordained  by 
the  Son  of  man,  who  is  the  Mediator  between  God 
and  man  in  the  new  covenant.  And  therefore  in 
the  ship  Jesus  ])reached ;  but  he  had  first  caused  it  to 
put  oft'  from  the  land,  to  represent  to  us,  that  the 
ship  in  which  we  preach  must  be  put  oft'  from  the 
vulgar  communities  of  men,  separate  from  the 
people,  by  the  designation  of  special  appointment 
and  of  special  holiness:  that  is,  they  neither  must 
be  common  men,  nor  of  common  lives,  but  conse- 
crated by  order,  and  hallowed  l)y  holy  living  ;  lest 
the  person  want  authority  in  destitution  of  a  divine 
character,  and  his  doctrine  lose  its  energy  and 
power  when  the  life  is  vulgar,  and  hath  nothing  in 
it  holy  and  extraordinary. 

9.  The  holy  Jesus  in  the  choice  of  his  apostles 
was  resolute  and  determined  to  make  election  of 
persons  bold  and  confident;  (for  so  the  Galileans 
were  observed  naturally  to  be,  and  Peter  was  the 
boldest  of  the  twelve,  and  a  good   sword-man.  till 

'   Gal.  iii.  IJ). 


116  ON    CHRIST'S    FIRST    PREACHING 

the  spirit  of  his  Master  had  fastened  his  sword 
within  the  scabbard,  and  charmed  his  spirit  into 
quietness;)  but  he  never  chose  any  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  none  of  the  doctors  of  the  law,  but 
persons  ignorant  and  unlearned.  Which,  in  de- 
signs and  institutions  whose  divinity  is  not  demon- 
strated from  otlier  arguments,  would  seem  an  art 
of  concealment  and  distrust.  But  in  this,  which 
derives  its  rays  from  the  fountain  of  wisdom  most 
openly  and  infallibly,  it  is  a  contestation  against 
the  powers  of  the  world  upon  the  interests  of  God, 
that  he  who  does  all  the  work  might  have  all  the 
glory,  and  in  the  productions  in  which  he  is  fain 
to  make  the  instruments  themselves,  and  give  them 
capacity  and  activity,  every  part  of  the  operation 
and  causality  and  effect  may  give  to  God  the  same 
honour  he  had  from  the  creation,  for  his  being  the 
only  workman  ;  with  the  addition  of  those  degrees 
of  excellency,  which,  in  the  work  of  redemption  of 
man,  are  beyond  that  of  his  creation  and  first 
beinsr. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  Jesu,  Lord  of  the  creatures,  and  Prince  of  the 
catholic  church,  to  whom  all  creatures  obey,  in  acknowledgment 
of  thy  supreme  dcinnion,  and  all  according  to  thy  disposition 
co-operate  to  the  advancement  of  thy  kingdom,  be  pleased  to 
order  the  affairs  and  accidents  of  the  world,  that  all  things  in 
their  capacity  may  do  the  work  of  the  gocpel,  and  co-ope- 
rate to  the  good  of  the  elect,  and  retrench  the  growth  of  vicp, 
and  advance  the  interests  of  virtue.  I\lake  all  the  states  and 
orders  of  men  disciples  of  thy  holy  institution :  let  princes 
worship  thee  and  defend  religion  ;  let  thy  clergy  do  thee  honour 
liv   personal  zeal,  and  vitjilancy  over  their  iiotks ;  let  all  the 


OF    HEPENTANCK.  1  17 

world  submit  to  the  scepter,  and  praise  thy  righteousness,  and 
adore  thy  judgments,  and  revere  thy  laws.  And  in  the  multi- 
tudes of  thy  people  within  the  enclosure  of  thy  nets,  let  me 
also  communicate  in  the  othces  of  a  strict  and  religious  duty, 
that  I  may  know  thy  voice,  and  obey  thy  call,  and  entertain  thy 
holy  Spirit,  and  improve  my  talents  ;  that  I  may  also  commu- 
nicate m  the  blessings  of  the  church  ;  and  when  the  nets  shall  be 
drawn  to  the  shore,  and  the  angels  shall  make  separation  of  the 
good  fishes  from  the  bad,  I  may  not  be  rejected,  or  thrown  into 
those  seas  of  fire  which  shall  afflict  the  enemies  of  thy  kingdom, 
but  be  admitted  into  the  societies  of  saints,  and  the  everlasting 
communion  of  thy  blessings  and  glories,  O  blesied  and  eternal 
Jesu.     Amen. 


DISCOURSK  IX. 

Of  Kepeniance, 

1.  The  whole  doctrine  of  llie  gospel  is  com- 
prehended by  the  Holy  Ghost  in  these  two  sum- 
maries, faith  and  repentance  ;'  that  those  two  potent 
and  imperious  faculties  which  command  our  lower 
powers,  which  are  the  fountain  of  actions,  llie  oc- 
casion and  capacity  of  laws,  and  tlie  title  to  re- 
ward or  punishment,  the  will  and  the  under- 
standiuij  ;  that  is,  the  whole  man  considered  in  hia 
superior  faculties,  may  become  subjects  of  the 
kingdom,  servants  of  Jesus,  and  heirs  of  glory. 
Faith  supplies  our  imperfect  conceptions,  and  cor- 
rects our  ignorance,  making  us  to  distinguish  good 
from  evil,  not  only  by  the  proportions  of  reason, 
and  custom,  and  old  laws,  but  by  the  new  standard 
of  the  gospel ;  it  teaches  us  all  those  duties  which 

'  Acts,  XX.  21. 


I  18  OF    REI'E.NTANlK. 

were  enjoined  us  in  order  to  a  p;vrlici[)iitions  of 
niif^^hty  glories;  it  brinj^s  our  understanding  into 
subjection,  niakinj^  us  apt  to  receive  the  Spirit  for 
our  guide,  Christ  for  our  Master,  the  gospel  for 
our  rule,  the  laws  of  Christianity  for  our  measure 
of  good  and  evil ;  and  it  supposes  us  naturally 
ignorant,  and  comes  to  supply  those  defects  which 
in  our  understandings  were  left  after  the  spoils  of 
innocence  and  wisdom  made  in  Paradise  upon 
Adam's  prevarication,  and  continued  and  increased 
by  our  neglect,  evil  customs,  voluntary  deceptions, 
and  infinite  prejudices.  And  as  faith  presupposes 
our  ignorance,  so  repentance  ])resupposes  our 
malice  and  iniquity.  The  whole  design  of  Christ's 
coming  and  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  being  to 
recover  us  from  a  miserable  condition,  from  igno- 
rance to  spiritual  wisdom,  by  the  conduct  of  faith  ; 
and  from  a  vicious,  habitually-depraved  life  and 
ungodly  manners  to  the  purity  of  the  sons  of  God, 
by  the  instrument  of  repentance. 

'2.  And  this  is  a  loud  publication  of  the  excel- 
lency and  glories  of  the  gospel,  and  the  felicities 
of  man  over  all  the  other  instances  of  creation. 
The  angels,  who  were  more  excellent  spirits  than 
human  souls,  were  not  comprehended  and  made 
safe  within  a  covenant  and  provisions  of  repent- 
ance. Their  first  act  of  volition  was  their  whole 
capacity  of  a  blissful  or  miserable  eternity  :  they 
made  tiieir  own  sentence  when  they  made  their 
first  election ;  and  having  such  excellent  know- 
ledge, and  no  weaknesses  to  prejudge  and  trouble 
their  choice,  what  they  first  did  was  not  capable  ot 
repentance;  because  they  had  at  first,  in  their  in- 
tuition and  sight,  all  which  could  afterwards  bring 
them   to  repentance  :  but   weak   man,  who  knows 


OF  hi.i'i:man(  i:,  119 

first  by  elements,  and  alter  hnv^  sttirly  learns  a 
syllable,  and  in  j,'ood  time  gets  a  word,  could  not 
at  first  know  all  those  thini^s  u  liich  were  sufficient 
or  apt  to  determine  his  choice ;  but  as  he  j»rew  to 
understand  more,  saw  more  reasons  to  rescind  his 
first  elections.  The  angels  had  a  full  peremf)tory 
will  and  a  satisfied  understandinij;  at  first,  and 
therefore  were  not  to  mend  their  first  act  by  a 
second  contradictory.  But  poor  man  hath  a  will 
always  strongest  when  his  understanding  is  weak- 
est, and  chooselh  most  when  he  is  least  able  to  de- 
termine ;  and  therefore  is  most  passionate  in  his 
desires,  and  follows  his  object  with  greatest  earn- 
estness, when  he  is  blindest,  and  hath  the  least 
reason  so  to  do:  and  therefore  God,  pitying  man, 
begins  to  reckon  his  choices  to  be  criminal,  just  in 
llie  same  tlegree  as  he  gives  him  understanding, 
'i'he  violences  and  unreasonable  actions  of  child- 
hood are  no  more  remembered  by  God,  than  they 
are  understood  by  the  child.  The  levities  and 
])assions  of  youth  are  not  aggravated  by  the  impu- 
tation of  malice,  but  are  sins  of  a  lighter  dye,  be- 
cause reason  is  not  yet  impressed  and  marked  upon 
them  witlj  characters  and  tincture  in  grain  :  but 
he  who  (when  he  may  choose,  because  he  under- 
stands) sliall  choose  the  evil  and  reject  the  good, 
stands  marked  with  a  deep  guilt,  and  hath  no  ex- 
cuse left  to  him,  but  as  his  degrees  of  ignorance 
left  his  choice  the  more  imperfect :  and  because 
every  sinner,  in  the  style  of  Scripture,  is  a  fool, 
and  hath  an  election  as  imperfect  as  is  the  action  ; 
that  is,  as  great  a  declension  fronj  prudence  as  it 
is  from  piety,  and  the  man  understands  as  imper- 
fectly as  he  practices ;  therefore  God  sent  his  Sou 


12(>  t»F    RErENTANCE. 

to  •  take  upon  liim  (not  tlie  natnre  of  angels,  but) 
the  seed  of  Abraham,' '  and  to  propound  salvation 
upon  such  terms  as  were  possible;  that  is,  upon 
such  a  piety  which  relies  upon  experience,  and 
trial  of  good  and  evil  ;  and  hath  given  us  leave,  if 
we  choose  amiss  at  first,  to  choose  again,  and  choose 
better;  Christ  having  undertaken  to  pay  for  the 
issues  of  our  first  follies,  to  make  up  the  breach 
made  by  our  first  weaknesses  and  abused  under- 
standings. 

3.  JJut  as  God  gave  us  this  mercy  by  Christ,  so 
he  also  revealed  it  by  him.  He  first  used  the  au- 
thority of  a  lord,  and  a  creator,  and  a  lawgiver; 
he  required  obedience  indeed  upon  reasonable 
terms,  upon  the  instanc:^  of  but  a  few  command 
uients  at  first,  which,  when  he  afterwards  multi* 
plied,  he  also  a])pointed  ways  to  expiate  the  smaller 
irregularities ;  but  left  them  eternally  bound  with-> 
out  remedy  who  should  do  any  great  violence  or 
crime.  But  then  he  bound  them  but  to  a  tempo- 
ral death.  Only  this,  as  an  eternal  death  was  also 
tacitly  implied,  so  also  a  remedy  was  secretly  mi- 
nistered, and  repentance  particularly  preached  by 
liomilies  distinct  from  the  covenant  of  Moses's  law. 
The  law  allowed  no  repentance  for  greater  crimes ; 
'  he  that  was  convicted  of  adultery  was  to  die  with- 
out mercy  :'*  but  God  pitied  the  miseries  of  man. 
and  the  inconveniences  of  the  law,  and  sent  Christ 
to  suffer  for  the  one,  and  remedy  the  other.  '  For 
so  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the 
dead,  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
should  be  preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations.'* 

'   Heb.  ii.  16.         '  Lev.  ix.  10.  •  Luke,  xxiv.  46,  47 


UF    REPENTANCE.  121 

Ami  now  this  is  the  last  and  only  hope  of  man, 
who  in  his  natural  condition  is  imperfect,  in  his 
customs  vicious,  in  his  habits  impotent  and  crimi- 
nal. Because  man  did  not  remain  innocent,  it  be- 
came necessary  he  should  be  penitent,  and  that 
this  penitence  should  by  some  means  be  made  ac- 
ceptable; tliat  is,  become  the  instrument  of  his 
pardon,  and  restitution  of  his  hope.  Which,  be- 
cause it  is  an  act  of  favour,  and  depends  wholly 
upon  the  divine  dignation,  and  was  revealed  to  us 
by  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  made  not  only  the  pro- 
phet and  preacher,  but  the  Mediator  of  this  new 
covenant  and  mercy  ;  it  was  necessary  we  should 
become  disciples  of  the  holy  Jesus,  and  servants  of 
his  institution  ;  that  is,  run  to  him,  to  be  made  par- 
takers of  the  mercies  of  this  new  covenant,  and  ac- 
cept of  liim  such  conditions  as  he  should  require 
of  us. 

4.  This  covenant  is  then  consigned  to  us  when 
we  first  come  to  Christ ;  that  is,  when  we  first  pro- 
fess ourselves  his  disciples  and  his  servants,  dis- 
ciples of  his  doctrine,  and  servants  of  his  institution ; 
that  is,  in  baptism,  in  which  Christ  who  died  for  our 
sins  makes  us  partakers  of  his  death.  I  <  r  '  we  are 
buried  by  baptism  into  his  death,''  saith  St.  Paul. 
Which  w  as  also  represented  in  ceremony,  by  tlie  im- 
mersion appointed  to  be  the  rite  of  that  sacrament : 
and  then  it  is  that  God  pours  forth,  together  with 
the  sacramental  waters,  a  salutary  and  holy  foun- 
tain of  gr.ue,  to  wash  tlie  soul  from  all  its  stain , 
and  impure  adherences:  and  therefore  this  first 
access  to  (  hrist  is  in  the  style  of  Scripture  called 
'  regeneration,'  llu;  *  new  birth,'  '  redemption,' '  re- 
novation,' *  exiiialion,"   or  'atonement   with   God,* 

'  Kom.  vi,  4 


)22  OF    REPENTANCE. 

and  'justification.''  And  these  words  iii  the  New 
Testament  relate  principally  and  properly  to  the 
aV)olition  of  sins  committed  before  baptism  :  for 
we  are  'justified  freely  by  his  grace  through  the 
redemption  that  is  in  Jesus  Christ;  whom  God 
hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  to  declare  his 
righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are 
past :  to  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time  his  righteous- 
ness :'*  and  this  is  that  which  St.  Paul  calls  'justi- 
fication by  faith,'*  that  'boasting  might  be  ex- 
cluded,'^ and  the  grace  of  God  by  Jesus  made  ex- 
ceeding glorious:  for  this  being  the  proper  work  of 
Christ,  the  first  entertainment  of  a  disciple,  and 
manifestation  of  that  state  which  is  first  given  him 
as  a  favour,  and  next  intended  as  a  duty,  is  a  total 
abolition  of  the  precedent  guilt  of  sin,  and  leaves 
nothing  remaining  that  can  condemn :  we  then  freely 
receive  the  entire  and  perfect  effect  of  that  atone- 
ment which  Christ  made  for  us,  we  are  put  into  a 
condition  of  innocence  and  favour.  And  this,  I 
say,  is  done  regularly  in  baptism  ;  and  St.  Paul 
expresses  it  to  this  sense  :  after  he  had  enumerated 
a  series  of  vices  subjected  in  many,  he  adds,  '  and 
such  were  some  of  you  ;  but  ye  are  washed,  but  ye 
are  sanctified.'^  There  is  nothing  of  the  old  guilt 
remanent:  when  '  ye  were  washed,  ye  were  sancti- 
fied ;'  or,  as  the  Scripture  calls  it  in  another  place, 
•ye  were  redeemed  from  your  vain  conversation.'" 
5.  For  this  grace  was  the  formality  of  the  cove- 
nant:  'Repent,  and  believe  the  gospel.'''  'Re- 
pent, and  be  converted,'  (so  it  is  in  St.  Peter's 
sermon,)  'and  your  sins  shall  be  done  away  ;"^  that 

'   1  Pet.   iii.  21  ;   Rom.  v.  i  ;   Tit.  iii.  5,  7;   Rom.  iii.  2fi; 
Oal.  ii.  Hj. 

■^  Horn.  iii.  24,  2o,  2C.  =  Ibitl.  verse  211. 

*  Ibid.  vtTHc27.  •'   I  Cir,  vi.  11.  M   I'ct.  i.  \l). 

'  jMar.  i.  15.  "  .Acts,  iii.  i:.t. 


OF    REPENTANCE.  123 

was  the  covenant.  But  that  Christ  chose  baptism 
for  its  signature  appears  in  the  parallel,  '  Repent, 
and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  your  sins.''  '  For 
Christ  loved  his  church,  and  gave  himself  for  it; 
that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the 
washing  of  water  by  the  word ;  that  he  might  pre- 
sent it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having 
spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing,  but  that  it 
should  be  holy,  and  without  blemish.'*  The  sanc- 
tification  is  integral,  the  pardon  is  universal  and 
immediate. 

6.  But  here  the  process  is  short,  no  more  at  first 
but  this,  '  Repent,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away 
your  sins.'  Which  baptism,  because  it  was  speedily 
administered,  and  yet  not  without  the  preparatives 
of  faith  and  repentance,  it  is  certain  tiiose  predis- 
positions were  but  instruments  of  reception,  actions 
of  great  facility,  of  small  employment,  and  such 
as,  supposing  the  person  not  unapt,  did  confess  the 
infiniteness  of  the  divine  mercy,  and  fulness  of  the 
redemption.^  and  is  called  by  the  apostle,  '  a  being 
justified  freely.'^ 

7.  Upon  this  ground  it  is,  that  by  the  doctrine  oC 
the  church  heathen  persons,  '  strangers  from  the 
covenant  of  grace,' were  inviled  to  a  confession  of 
faith,  and  dereliction  of  false  religions,  with  a  pro- 
mise that  at  the  very  first  resignation  of  their  per- 
sons to  the  service  of  Jesus,  they  should  obtain  full 
pardon.  It  was  St.  Cyprian's  counsel  to  old  De- 
nietrianus,  "  Now,  in  the  evening  of  thy  days,  when 
thy  soul  is  almost  expiring,  repent  of  ti)y  sins,  be- 
lieve in  Jesus,  and   turn  Ciiristian  ;  and  although 

'  Acts,  ii.  .3»;  Mar.  xvi.  IG.  "■  Kph.  v.  25,  2<;,  27. 

■*  .lustin  Mart.  Dial.  cum.  Tryjih.  Act.  vii.  37  ;  x.  47  ;  xyL 
lb,  33. 
*  Rom.  iii.  24. 


124  OF    aKI'ENTANCE. 

thou  art  almost  in  the  embraces  ofdeatli,  yet  thou 
shall  becomprehended  of  immortality."  Baptizalus 
ad  horam  sccurus  hinc  exit,  saith  Austin,  "  a  bap- 
tized person  dying  immediately  shall  live  eternally 
and  gloriously."  And  this  was  the  case  of  the  thief 
upon  the  cross :  he  confessed  Christ,  and  repented 
of  his  sins,  and  begged  pardon,  and  did  acts 
enough  to  (acilitate  his  first  access  to  Christ,  and 
but  to  remove  the  hinderances  of  God's  favour  :  then 
he  was  redeemed  and  reconciled  to  God  by  the 
death  of  Jesus;  that  is,  lie  was  pardoned  with  a  full, 
instantaneous,  integral  and  clear  pardon ;  w  ith  such 
pardon  which  declared  the  glory  of  God's  mercies, 
and  the  infiniteness  of  Christ's  merits,  and  such  as 
required  a  mere  reception  and  entertainment  on 
man's  part. 

8.  But  then  we,  having  received  so  great  a  favour, 
enter  into  a  covenant  to  correspond  with  a  propor- 
tionable endeavour ;  the  benefit  of  absolute  pardon, 
that  is,  salvation  of  our  souls,  being  not  to  be  re- 
ceived till  '  the  times  of  refreshing  shall  come  from 
the  presence  of  tlie  Lord  ;''  all  tiie  interval  we  have 
promised  to  live  a  holy  life,  in  obedience  to  the 
whole  discipline  of  Jesus,  That  is  the  condition  on 
our  part;  and  if  we  prevaricate  that  the  mercy 
shown  to  the  blessed  thief  is  no  argument  of  hope 
to  us,  because  he  was  saved  by  the  mercies  of  the 
first  access,  which  corresponds  to  tiie  remission  of 
sins  we  receive  in  baptism  ;  and  we  shall  perish  by 
breaking  our  own  promises  and  obligations  which 
Christ  passed  upon  us,  when  he  made  with  us  the 
covenant  of  an  entire  and  gracious  pardon. 

9.  For  in  the  precise  covenant  there  is  nothing 
else  described  but  pardon  so  given  and  ascertained 

'  Acts,  iji.  19. 


or  RriM'NTANcn  12 > 

upon  an  obedience  |)t'rsevering  to  the  end.  And 
this  is  clear  in  all  those  places  of  Scripture  which 
express  a  holy  and  innocent  life  to  have  been  the 
purpose  and  desiy;n  of  Christ's  death  for  us,  and  re- 
demption of  us  from  the  former  estate.  '  Christ 
bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we, 
beino^dead  unto  sin,  should  live  unto  righteousness; 
by  whose  stripes  ye  are  healed.' '  [E.vhule]  from  our 
being  '  healed,'  from  our  'dying  unto  sin,'  from  our 
being  '  buried  with  Christ,'  from  our  being  '  bap- 
tized into  his  death;'  the  end  of  Christ's  dying  for 
us  is,  '  that  we  should  live  unto  righteousness.' 
Which  was  also  highly  and  prophetically  ex- 
pressed by  St.  Zachary  in  his  divine  ecstacy  : — 
•  This  was  the  oath  which  he  svvare  to  our  forefather 
Abraham,  that  he  would  grant  unto  us,  that  we, 
being  delivered  out  of  the  hands  of  our  enemies, 
might  serve  him  without  fear,  in  holiness  and  righ- 
teousness before  him,  all  the  days  of  our  life.'  *  And 
St.  Paul  discourses  to  this  purpose  pertinently  and 
largely  :  '  For  the  grace  of  God  that  bringelh  salva- 
tion hath  appeared  to  all  men,  teaching  us,  that  de- 
nying ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,'  [///  sunt 
antjcli  quihiis  in  laiacro  renunciavimus,  sailh  Ter- 
tuUiiin,  "  Those  are  the  evil  angels,  the  devil  and 
his  works,  which  we  deny  or  renounce  in  baptism, '] 
'  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in 
this  present  world  ;'' — that  is,  lead  a  whole  life  in 
the  pursuit  of  universal  '  holiness.'  (Sobriety,  jus- 
tice, and  godliness  being  tiie  proper  language  to 
signify  our  religion  and  respects  to  God,  to  our 
neighbours,  and  to  ourselves.)     And  that  this  was 

'  \'ide  part  iii.  Consiil.  of  ('rucifix.  of  Jesus,  ]  Pet.  ii.  4. 
'  Luke,  i.  7;»,  iS.c.         '  Tit.  ii.  11,  12. 


126  Ol     liKl'LN  lANC  K. 

the  very  end  of  our  dyini;  in  baptism,  and  tlie  tie- 
sign  of  Christ's  manil'estalion  of  our  redemption, 
he  adds,  '  Looking  for  that  blessed  hope  and  the 
glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Sa- 
viour Jesus,  who  gave  himself  for  us  to  this  very 
purpose, that  he  miglit  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity, 
and  purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous 
of  good  works.'  '  Purifying  a  peoj)le  peculiar  to 
himself  is  cleansing  it  in  the  laver  of  regeneration, 
and  appropriating  it  to  himself  in  the  rites  of  ad- 
mission and  profession.  Whicli  plainly  designs  the 
first  consignation  of  our  redemption  to  be  in  bap- 
tism ;  and  that  Christ  there  '  cleansing'  his  church 
'  from  every  spot  or  wrinkle,'  made  a  covenant  with 
us,  that  we  should  renounce  all  our  sins,  and  he 
should  cleanse  them  all,  and  then  that  we  should 
abide  in  that  state.  Which  is  also  very  explicitly 
set  down  by  the  same  apostle  in  that  divine  and 
mysterious  epistle  to  the  Romans:  '  How  shall  we 
that  are  dead  to  sin,  live  any  longer  therein  ? 
Know  ye  not,  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized 
into  Jesus  Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death  ?' * 
Well,  what  then  ?  '  Therefore  we  are  buried  with 
him  by  baptism  into  his  death,  that  like  as  Christ 
was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the 
Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness  of 
life.'  That  is  the  end  and  mysteriousness  of  bap- 
tism, it  is  a  consignation  into  the  death  of  Christ, 
and  we  die  with  him  that  once  ;  that  is,die  to  sin,  that 
we  may  for  ever  after  live  the  life  of  righteousness. 
'  Knowing  this,  that  our  old  man  is  crucified  vvilh 
him,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed,  that 
henceforth   we    should   not   serve   sin;''    that    is, 

'  Tit.  ii.  13,  14.  '  Rom.  vi.  2,  3,  4.  ^  lb.  vi.  6. 


OK    RErENTA.VCE.  127 

from  tlie  clay  of  our  baptism  lo  the  day  of  our 
death.  And,  tlierefore,  God,  wlio  knows  the  weak- 
nesses on  our  part,  and  yet  the  strictness  and  ne- 
cessity ofconservin;^  baptismal  grace  by  the  cove- 
nant evangelical,  hath  appointed  the  auxiliaries  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  ministered  to  all  baptized 
people  in  the  holy  rite  of  confirmation,  that  it 
might  be  made  possible  to  be  done  by  divine  aids, 
which  is  necessary  to  be  done  by  the  divine  com- 
mandments. 

10.  And  'this  might  not  be  improperly  said  to  be 
the  meaning  of  those  words  of  our  blessed  Saviour, 
'  He  that  speaks  a  word  against  the  Son  of  man,  it 
shall  be  forgiven  him;  but  he  that  speaks  a  word 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  forgiven 
iiim  :'  that  is,  those  sins  which  were  committed  in 
infidelity,  before  we  became  disciples  of  the  Holy 
Jesus,  are  to  be  remitted  in  baptism  and  our  fust 
profession  of  the  religion  ;  but  the  sins  committed 
after  baptism  and  confirmation,  in  which  we  receive 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  by  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
grieved,  are  to  be  accounted  for  with  more  severity. 
And,  therefore,  the  primitive  church,  understanding 
our  obligations  according  to  this  discourse,admitted 
not  any  to  holy  orders  who  had  lapsed  and  fallen 
into  any  sin  of  which  she  could  take  cognizance, 
that  is,  such  who  had  not  kept  the  integrity  of  tiieir 
baptism;  but  sins  committed  before  baptism,  were 
no  impediments  to  the  susception  of  orders,  because 
they  were  absolutely  extinguished  in  baptisn). 
This  is  the  nature  of  the  covenant  we  made  in  bap- 
tism, that  is,  the  grace  of  the  gospel,  and  the  effect 
of  faith  anil  repentance;  and  it  is  expected  we 
should  so  remain.     For  it  is  nowhere  expressed  to 


128  of    RtPfNTANCE. 

})e  the  mercy  and  intention  of  the  covenant  evan- 
gelical, that  this  redemption  should  be  any  more 
than  once  ;  or  that  repentance,  which  is  in  order  to 
it,  can  be  renewed  to  the  same  or  so  great  purposes 
and  present  effects. 

]  1.  But  after  we  are  once  reconciled  in  baptism, 
and  put  entirely  into  God's  favour,  when  we  have 
once  been  redeemed,  if  we  then  fall  away  into  sin, 
we  must  expect  God's  dealing  with  us  in  another 
manner  and  to  other  purposes.  Never  must  we 
expect  to  be  so  again  justified,  and  upon  such 
terms  as  formerly  ;  the  best  days  of  our  repentance 
are  interrupted.  Not  that  God  will  never  forgive 
them  that  sin  after  baptism,  and  recover  by  repent- 
ance ;  but  that  restitution  by  repentance  after  bap- 
tism is  another  thing  than  the  first  redemption. 
No  such  entire,  clear,  and  integral,  determinate,  and 
presential  effects  of  repentance  ;  but  an  imperfect, 
little,  growing,  uncertain,  and  hazardous  reconcilia- 
tion ;  a  repentance  that  is  always  in  produ  tion,  a 
renovation  by  parts,  a  pardon  that  is  revocable,  a 
salvation  to  be  wrought  by  fear  and  trembling  :  all 
our  remanent  life  must  be  in  bitterness,  our  hopes 
alloyed  with  fears,  our  meat  attempered  with  colo- 
quintida,  and  death  is  in  the  pot.  As  our  best  ac- 
tions are  imperfect,  so  our  greatest  graces  are  but 
possibilities  and  aptnesses  to  a  reconcilement,  and 
all  our  life  we  are  working  ourselves  into  that  con 
dition  we  had  in  baptism,  and  lost  by  our  relapse. 
As  the  habit  lessens,  so  does  the  guilt ;  as  our  vir- 
tues are  imperfect,  so  is  the  pardon  :  and  because 
our  piety  may  be  interrupted,  our  state  is  uncer- 
tain, till  our  possibilities  of  sin  are  ceased,  till  our 
fight  is  finished,  and   the  victory  therefore  made 


«)K    RhPI-NTANtF..  129 

•ire,  because  lliere  is  no  more  fij^lit.  And  it  is 
emark;i!)K',  tli:it  St.  Peter  jj^ives  counsel  to  live 
holily  in  pursuance  of  our  redemption,  of  our 
calling-,  and  of  our  escapinc^  from  tiiat  corruption 
that  is  in  the  world  through  lust,  lest  we  lose  the 
benefit  of  our  purgation,'  to  whicli,  by  way  of  anti- 
thesis, he  opposes  this  :  *  Wherefore  the  rather  give 
diligence  to  make  your  calling'  and  election  sure;'* 
and, 'if  ye  do  these  tilings,  ye  shall  never  fall.'* 
Meaning,  by  the  perpetuating  our  state  of  baptism 
and  first  repentance  we  shall  never  fall,  but  be  in  a 
sure  estate  ;  our  calling  and  election  shall  be  sure. 
But  not  if  we  fall  ;  '  if  we  forget  we  were  purged 
from  our  old  sins:'*  if  we  forfeit  our  calling,  we 
have  also  made  our  election  unsure,  movable,  and 
disputable. 

12.  So  that  now  the  liopes  of  lapsed  sinners  rely 
upon  another  bottom.  And  as  in  Moses's  law  there 
was  no  revelation  ofrepentance,  but  yet  the  Jews  had 
hopes  in  God,  and  were  taught  the  succours  of  re- 
pentance, by  the  homilies  of  the  prophets  and  other 
accessory  notices  :  so  in  the  gospel  the  covenant  was 
established  upon  faith  and  repentance,but  it  was  con- 
signed in  bai)tism,  and  was  verifiable  only  in  the  in- 
tegrity of  a  following  holy  life,  according  to  the  mea- 
sures of  a  man  ;  not  perfect,  but  sincere  ;  not  fault- 
l(!ss,  but  heartily  endeavoured  :  but  yet  the  mercy  of 
of  Ood  in  pardoningsinners  lapsed  after  baptism  was 
declared  to  us  by  collateral  and  indirect  occasions; 
by  the  sermons  of  the  apostles,  and  the  commenta- 
ries of  aj)ostolical  persons,  who  understood  tiie 
meaning  of  the  spirit,  and   the   purposes  of  the 


'  2  Pet.  i.  4.  «  Ibiil.  i.  10. 

^  Vide  cti:in)  Col.  i.  21,  22,  2:1.  «  2  Pet.  i.  9. 

▼  «>U  II.  9 


130  OF    RKPENTANCE. 

divine  mercy,  iind  those  other  significations  of  his 
will,  which  the  blessed  Jesus  left  upon  record  in 
other  parts  of  his  Testament,  as  in  codicils  annexed, 
besides  the  precise  Testament  itself.  And  it  is 
certain,  if  in  the  covenant  of  grace  there  be  the 
same  involution  of  an  after  repentance  as  there  is 
of  present  pardon  upon  past  repentance  and  future 
sanctity,  it  is  impossible  to  justify  that  a  holy  life 
and  a  persevering  sanctity  is  enjoined  by  the  cove- 
nant of  the  gospel :  if,  I  say,  in  its  first  intention 
it  be  declared  that  we  may  as  well,  and  upon  the 
same  terms,  hope  for  pardon  upon  a  recovery 
hereafter,  as  upon  the  perseverance  in  the  present 
condition. 

13.  From  these  premises,  we  may  soon  under- 
stand what  is  the  duty  of  a  Christian  in  all  his  life, 
even  to  pursue  his  own  undertaking  made  in  bap- 
tism, or  his  first  access  to  Christ,  and  redemption 
of  his  person  from  the  guilt  and  punishment  of 
sins.  The  state  of  a  Christian  is  called  in  Scrip- 
ture '  regeneration,  spiritual  life,  walking  after  the 
spirit,  walking  in  newness  of  life,'  that  is,  '  a  bring- 
ing forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance.'  Tiiat  re- 
pentance which,  tied  up  in  the  same  ligament  with 
faith,  was  the  disposition  of  a  Christian  to  his  rege- 
neration and  atonement,  must  have  holy  life  in 
perpetual  succession ;  for  that  is  the  apt  and 
proper  fruit  of  the  first  repentance,  which  John  the 
Baptist  preached  as  an  introduction  to  Christianity, 
and  as  an  entertaining  the  redemption  by  the  blood 
of  the  covenant.  And  all  that  is  spoken  in  the 
New  Testament  is  nothing  but  a  calling  upon  us 
to  do  what  we  promised  in  our  regeneration,  to 
perform  that  which  was  the  design  of  Christ,  who 
therefore  redeemed  us,  and  '  bare  our  sins  in   his 


OF    Rtl'ENTANfF.  131 

own  body,  lliut  we  might  die   unto  sin,  and   live 
unto  rit^hteousness.' 

14.  This  is  that  sayinjr  of  St.  Paul,  'Follow 
peace  with  all  men,  and  holiness,  without  which 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord  :  looking  diligently,  lest 
any  man  fail  of  the  grace  of  God,  lest  any  root  of 
bitterness  springing  up  trouble  you.' '  Plainly 
saying,  that  unless  we  pursue  the  state  of  holiness 
and  Christian  communion  into  which  we  were  bap- 
tized when  we  received  the  'grace  of  God,'*  we 
shall  fail  of  the  state  of  grace,  and  never  come  to  see 
the  glories  of  the  Lord.  And  a  little  before  :  '  Let 
us  draw  near  with  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance 
of  faith,  having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil 
conscience,  and  our  bodies  washed  with  pure  water.' 
That  is  the  first  state  of  our  redt'mption,  that  is 
'  the  covenant  God  made  wilh  us,  to  remember  our 
sins  no  more,  and  to  put  his  laws  in  our  hearts  and 
minds.'''  And  this  was  done,  'when  our  bodies 
were  washed  with  water,  and  our  hearts  sprinkled 
from  an  evil  conscience;'  that  is,  in  baptism.  It 
remains  then  that  we  persist  in  the  condition,  that 
we  may  continue  our  title  to  the  covenant;  for  so 
it  follows  :  '  liet  us  hold  fust  the  profession  of  our 
faith  without  wavering  ;  for  if  we  sin  wilfully  after 
the  profession,  there  remains  no  more  sacrifice:'* 
that  is,  if  we  hold  not  fast  the  profession  of  our 
faith,  and  continue  not  the  condition  of  the  cove- 
nant, but  fall  into  a  contrary  state,  we  have  for- 
leited  the  mercies  of  the  covenant.  So  that  all  our 
hopes  of  blessedness,  relying  upon  the  covenant 
made  with  (iod    in   Christ  Jesus,  are  ascertained 


'    Ueb.xii.  14,  I.-..  »  Ibid.  x.  22. 

^  Ibid.  X.  I«J,  17.  *  Ibid.  x.  23,  26. 


132  OF  ni-HES  lANcn 

upon  U.S,  by  hoidinLf  fast  tliat  profession,  by  retain- 
in"^  our  hearts  still  sprinkled  from  an  evil  con- 
science, by  following-  peace  with  all  men  and  holi- 
ness :  for  by  not  failing  of  the  grace  of  God,  we 
ehall  not  fail  of  our  hopes,  the  mighty  price  of 
Dur  high  calling ;  but  without  all  this  we  shall 
never  see  the  face  of  God. 

15.  To  the  same  purpose  are  all  those  places  of 
Scripture,  which  entitle  us  to  Christ  and  the  Spirit 
upon  no  other  condition  but  a  holy  life,  and  a  pre- 
vailing, habitual,  victorious  grace.  '  Kno  v  you 
not  your  ownselves,  brethren,  how  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be  reprobates  ?''  There 
are  but  two  states  of  being  in  order  to  eternity, 
either  a  state  of  the  inhabitation  of  Christ,  or  the 
state  of  reprobation  :  either  Christ  is  in  us,  or  we 
are  reprobates.  But  what  does  that  signify,  to 
have  '  Christ  dwelling  in  us  ?'  That  also  we  leani 
at  the  feet  of  the  same  doctor:  'If  Christ  be  in 
you,  the  body  is  dead  by  reason  of  sin,  but 
the  Spirit  is  life,  because  of  righteousness.'^  The 
body  of  sin  is  mortified,  and  the  life  of  grace 
is  active,  busy,  and  spiritual,  in  all  them  who 
are  not  in  the  state  of  reprobation.  The  parallel 
with  that  other  expression  of  his,  '  They  that  are 
tJhrist's  have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the  affections 
and  lusts.' ^  If  sin  be  vigorous,  if  it  be  habitual,  if 
it  be  beloved,  if  it  be  not  dead  or  dying  in  us,  we  are 
not  of  Christ's  portion,  we  belong  not  to  him,  nor 
no  to  us :  '  For  whoever  is  born  of  God  doth  not 
commit  sin,  for  his  seed  remaineth  in  him  ;  and  he 
cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God  :'*    that  is. 


'  2  Or.  xiii.  ').  *  Rom.  viii.  10. 

*  Gal.  V.  24.  *   1  John,  iii.  1). 


ut    nijiMAMC.  l|89l 

cviMV  rriidicialc  person  is  in  u  tondition  whose 
very  l)ein!:j^  is  a  contradiction  and  an  opposite 
desija^n  to  sin.  "Wlien  fie  was  rej^enerate  and  born 
anew  of  water  and  the  Spirit,  tlie  seed  of  God,  the 
original  of  piety,  was  put  into  him,  and  bidden 
to  increase  and  multiply.  The  seed  of  God  (in 
St.  John)  is  the  same  with  the  word  of  God  (in 
St.  James)  '  by  which  he  begat  us ;"  and  as  long 
Jis  this  remains,  a  regenerate  person  cannot  be 
given  up  to  sin  ;  for  when  he  is,  he  quits  his  bap- 
tism, he  renounces  the  covenant,  he  alters  his  rela- 
tion to  God  in  the  same  degree  as  lie  enters  into  a 
state  of  sin. 

16.  And  yet  this  discourse  is  no  otherwise  to 
be  understood  than  according  to  the  design  of 
the  thing  itself,  and  the  purj)Ose  of  God  ;  that  is, 
that  it  be  a  deep  engagement  and  an  efl'ectual 
consideration  for  the  necessity  of  a  holy  life:  but 
at  no  hand  let  it  be  made  an  instrument  of  despair, 
nor  an  argument  to  lessen  the  influences  of  the 
divine  mercy.  For  although  the  nicety  and  limits 
of  the  covenant  being  consigned  in  liaptism,  are 
fixed  upon  the  condition  of  a  holy  and  persevering 
uninterupted  sanctity  ;  and  our  redemption  is 
wrought  but  once,  completed  but  once,  we  are  but 
once  absolutely,  entirely,  and  presentially  forgiven, 
and  reconciled  to  God,  this  reconciliation  being  in 
virtue  of  tlie  sacrifice,  and  this  sacrifice  applied 
in  baptism  is  one,  as  baptism  is  one,  and  as  the 
sacrifice  is  one  ;  yet  the  mercy  of  God,  besides  this 
great  feast,  iiath  fragments,  which  the  apostles  and 
ministers  spiritual  are  to  gather  up  in  baskets,  and 
minister  to  the  after-needs  of  indigent  and  necessi- 
tous disciples. 

'  James,  i.  18. 


134  OF    llF.t'FN  PANCE. 

17.  And  this  we  pfatlier,  as  fragments  are  ga- 
thered, by  lespersed  sayings,  instances  and  exam- 
ples of  the  Divine  mercy  recorded  in  holy  Scrip- 
ture. The  holy  Jesus  commands  us  to  *  forgive  our 
brother  seventy  times  seven  times,'  when  he  asks  our 
pardon  and  implores  our  mercy.  And  since  the 
Divine  mercy  is  the  pattern  of  ours,  and  is  also 
procured  by  ours,  the  one  being  made  the  measure 
of  the  other,  by  way  of  precedent  and  by  way  oi 
reward,  God  will  certainly  forgive  us,  as  we  forgive 
our  brother.  And  it  cannot  be  imagined  God 
should  oblige  us  to  give  pardon  oftener  than  he 
will  give  it  himself,  especially  since  he  hath  ex- 
pressed ours  to  be  a  title  of  a  proportionable  recep- 
tion of  his ;  and  hath  also  commanded  us  to  ask 
pardon  all  days  of  our  life,  even  in  our  daily  offi- 
ces, and  to  beg  it  in  the  measure  and  rule  of  our 
own  charity  and  forgiveness  to  our  brother.  And 
therefore  God,  in  his  infinite  wisdom  foresee- 
ing our  frequent  relapses,  and  considering  our  infi- 
nite infirmities,  appointed  in  his  cliurch  an  ordinary 
ministry  of  pardon,  designing  the  minister  to  pray 
for  sinners,  and  promising  to  accept  him  in  that 
his  advocation,  or  that  he  would  open  or  shut 
heaven  respectively  to  his  act  on  earth  ;  that  is,  he 
would  hear  his  prayers,  and  verify  his  ministry,  to 
whom  he  hath  '  committed  the  word  of  reconcili- 
ation.' This  became  a  duty  to  Christian  ministers, 
spiritual  persons,  that  they  should  '  restore  a  person 
overtaken  in  a  fault,' '  that  is,  reduce  him  to  the 
condition  he  begins  to  lose :  that  they  should 
'  pray  over  sick  persons,'*  who  are  also  commanded 
to  confess  their  sins;  and  God  hath  promised  that 

'  GaL  vi.  1.  '  James,  v.  14. 


t>F    Rr.l'F.NT^NCK.  13i^ 

the  sins  they  have  committed  shall  be  forgiven 
them.  Thus  St.  Paul  absolved  the  incestuous  excom- 
municate Corinthian;  in  the  person  of  Christ  he 
forgave  him.'  And  this  also  is  the  confidence  St. 
John  taught  the  Christian  church  upon  the  stock 
of  the  excellent  mercy  of  God  and  propitiation  of 
Jesus:  '  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and 
just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from 
all  unrighteousness.'*  Which  discourse  he  directs 
to  them  who  were  Christians, already  initiated  into 
the  institution  of  Jesus.  And  the  epistles  which 
the  Spirit  sent  to  the  seven  Asian  churches,  and 
were  particularly  addressed  to  the  bishops,  the  an- 
gels of  those  churches,  are  exhortations,  some  to 
perseverance,  some  to  repentance,  that  '  they  may 
return  from  whence  they  are  fallen.'^  And  the 
case  is  so  with  us,  that  it  is  impossible  we  should  be 
actually  and  perpetually  free  from  sin  in  the  long 
succession  of  a  busy,  and  impotent,  and  a  tempted 
conversation.  And  without  these  reserves  of  the 
Divine  grace  and  after-emanations  from  the  mercy- 
seat,  no  man  could  be  saved  ;  and  the  death  of 
Christ  would  become  inconsiderable  to  most  of  his 
greatest  purposes  ;  for  none  should  have  received 
advantages  but  newly-baptized  persons,  whose  albs 
of  l)aptism  served  them  also  for  a  winding-sheet. 
And  therefore  our  l)aj)tisni,  although  it  does  con- 
sign  tlie  work   of  God   presently  to  the  baptized 

'  E(  Ttr  tiriffKoiroc  »/  irpiirtvrfnog  rbv  f rrcrpf^oi'ra  airo 
d/iia(jrio<;  «  TrpocrckxtTai,  aXX<t  aTToCaWirai,  KaOaiptiaBw, 
on  Xi'TTtT  XoiTov  TOP  tiirvt'ra,  Xapd  yiifiTai  tu  rift  npariji  IttI 
ii'i  afiaoTtoXi^  fitTavoHt'Ti.  Can.  Apost.  li. — "  If  any  bishop 
or  presbyter  receives  not,  but  puts  away  a  penitent  sinner,  let  him 
be  deposed ;  for  he  thereby  grieves  Christ,  who  says,  '  there  ia 
joy  in  heaven  over  one  ninncr  thatrepenteth.'  " 

■  1  John,  i.  i».  ^  Aporal.  ii.  5. 


136  <iF  ur.rr.NTANcr. 

person  in  great,  certain,  and  entire  effect,  in  ortJei 
to  the  remission  of  what  is  past,  in  case  the  cate- 
chumen lie  rightly  disposed  or  hinders  not;  yet  it 
hath  also  influence  upon  the  following  periods 
of  our  life,  and  hath  admitted  us  into  a  lasting 
state  of  pardon,  to  be  renewed  and  actually  applied 
by  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's-supper,  and  all 
other  ministries  evangelical,  and  so  long  as  our  re- 
pentance is  timely,  activd,  and  effective.' 

18.  But  now,   although   it   is  infinitely   certain 
that  the  gates  of  mercy  stand  open  to  sinners  after 
baptism;  yet  it  is  some  variety,  and   greater  diffi- 
culty.    He  that   renounces  Christianity,  and   be- 
comes apostate  from  his  religion,  not  bj'^  a  seeming 
abjuration  under  a  storm,  but  by  a  voluntary  and 
hearty  dereliction,  he  seems  to  have  quitted  all  that 
grace  which  he  had  received  when  he  was  illumi- 
nated, and  to  have  lost  the  benefits  of  his  redemp- 
tion and  former  expiation.     And  I  conceive  this  is 
the  full  meaning  of  those  words  of  St.  Paul,  which 
are  of  highest  difficulty  and  latent  sense :  '  For  it 
is  impossible  for  those  who  were  once  enlightened, 
&c.  if  they  shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them   again 
unto  repentance."     The  reason  is  there  subjoined, 
and  more  clearly  explicated  a  little  after  :    '  For  it 
we  sin  wilfully,   after  we  have  received  the  know 
ledge  of  the  truth,  there  remains  no  more  sacrifice 
for  sins ;'  for  '  he  hath  counted  the  blood  of  the 
covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctified,  an  unholy 
thing,  and  hath  done  despite  to  the  Spirit  of  grace. 
The  meaning  is  divers,  according  to  the  degrees  o 
upostacy   or  relapse.     They   who   fall   away   afte 
they   were  once  enlightened   in  baptism,  and  fel 

'  See  Discourye  vi.  of  Baptism.  ■'  Heh.  vi  4  & 

■'  Heb.  X.  2C,  20, 


OF    nr-PF.N  tANCK.  ]37 

all  tliose  Messed  eflf'ects  of  tlie  sanctification  anti  tlie 
emanations  of  the  Spirit,  if  it  be  into  a  contrriflic- 
lory  state   of  sin  and   mancipation,   and   obstinate 
purposes  to  serve  Christ's  enemies;    then  '  ther^ 
remains  nolhinii^  but  a  fearful  expectation  of  judg- 
ment :'  but  if  the  backslidir)<j^  be  but  the  interrup- 
tion of  the  first  sanctity  by  a  single  act,  or  an  un- 
confornied,   unresolved,    unnialicious   habit;    then 
also  '  it  is  impossible  to  renew  them  unto  repent- 
ance,' viz.  as  formerly  ;  that  is,  they  can  never  be 
reconciled  as  before,  integrally,  fully,  and  at  once, 
during  this  life  :  for  that  redemption  and  expiation 
was  by  baptism  into  Christ's  death,   and  there  are 
no  more  deaths  of  Christ,  nor  any  more  such   sa- 
cramental consignations  of  the  benefit  of  it ; '  there 
is  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins,'  but  the  redemption  is 
one,  as  the  sacrifice  is  one  in  whose  virtue  the  re- 
demption does  operate.      And  therefore  the  Nova- 
lians,  who  were  zealous  men,  denied  to  the  first  sort 
of  persons  the  peace  of  the  church,  and  remitted 
them  to  the  Divine  judgment.     The  church  herself 
was  sometimes  almost  as  zealous  against  the  second 
sort  of  persons  lapsed  into  capital  crimes,  granting 
to  them  repentance  but  once  :  but  sucii  disciplines 
consigning  this  trvith,  that  every  recession  from  the 
state  of  grace,  in  which  by  baptism  we  were  esta- 
blished  and   consigned,  is  a  further  step  from  the 
possiliililies  of  heaven,  and  so  near  a  ruin,  that  the 
church  thought  them  persons  fit  to  be  transmitted 
to  a  judicature  immediately  divine  ;  as  supjiosiiig 
either   her  power   to  be  too   little,   or  tiie  otht-r's 
malice  too  great,  or  else  the  danger  too  violent,  or 
the  scandal    insup|)ortable :    for   concerning  such 
persons,  who  once  were  pious,  holy,  and  forgiven. 


138  OF    RKPKNTANCE 

(for  SO  is  every  man  and  woman  worthily  and 
aptly  baptized,)  and  afterwards  fell  into  dissolu- 
tion of  manners,  '  extinguishing  the  Holy  Ghost, 
doing  despite  to  the  Spirit  of  grace,  crucifying  again 
the  Lord  of  life;'  that  is,  returning  to  such  a  condi- 
tion from  which  they  were  once  recovered,  and 
could  not  otherwise  be  so  but  by  the  death  of  our 
dearest  Lord  ;  I  say,  concerning  such  persons  the 
Scripture  speaks  very  suspiciously,  and  to  the 
sense  and  signification  of  an  infinite  danger:  for  if 
tlie  speaking  a  word  against  the  Holy  Ghost  be  not  to 
be  pardoned  here  nor  hereafter,  what  can  we  imagine 
to  be  the  end  of  such  impiety  which  '  crucifies  the 
Lord  of  life,  and  puts  him  to  an  open  shame,' 
which  *  quenches  the  Spirit,  doing  despite  to  the 
Spirit  of  grace  ?'  Certainly  that  is  worse  than  speak- 
ing against  him.  And  such  is  every  person  who  falls 
into  wilful  apostacy  from  the  faith,  or  does  that  vio- 
lence to  holiness  which  the  otheh*  does  to  faith  ; 
that  is,  extinguishes  the  sparks  of  illumination, 
quenches  the  Spirit,  and  is  habitually  and  obsti- 
nately criminal  in  any  kind.  For  the  same  thing 
that  atheism  was  in  the  first  period  of  tlie  world, 
and  idolatry  in  the  second,  the  same  is  apostacy  in 
the  last ;  it  is  a  state  wholly  contradictory  to  all 
our  religious  relation  to  God,  according  to  the  na- 
ture and  manner  of  the  jjresent  communication. 
Onlj'  this  last,  because  it  is  more  malicious,  and  a 
declension  from  a  greater  grace,  is  something  like 
the  fall  of  angels.  And  of  this  the  emperor  Julian 
was  a  sad  example. 

19.  But  as  these  are  degrees  immediately  next, 
and  a  little  less,  so  the  hopes  of  pardon  are  the 
more   visible.     Simon   Magus  spake  a  word,  or  at 


OF    REPENTANCE.  139 

least  thought,  against  the  Holy  Ghost :  he  thought 
he  was  to  be  bought  for  money.  Concerning 
him  St.  Peter  pronounced,  '  Thou  art  in  the  gall  of 
bitterness  and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity:  yet  repent, 
and  pray  God,  if  perhaps  the  thought  of  thine  heart 
may  be  forgiven  thee.''  Here  the  matter  was  of 
great  difficulty  ;  but  yet  there  was  a  possibility 
left,  at  least  no  impossibility  of  recovery  declared. 
And  therefore  St.  .Jude  bids  us,  '  of  some  to  have 
compassion,  making  a  difference  ;  and  others  save 
with  fear,  pulling  them  out  of  the  fire:'*  meaning 
that  their  condition  is  only  not  desperate.  And 
still  in  descent,  retaining  the  same  proportion, 
every  lesser  sin  is  easier  pardoned,  as  better  consist- 
ing with  the  state  of  grace  :  the  whole  Spirit  is  not 
destroyed,  and  the  body  of  sin  is  not  introduced  ; 
Christ  is  not  quite  ejected  out  of  possession,  but 
like  an  oppressed  prince,  still  continues  his  claim  ; 
and  such  is  his  mercy  that  he  will  still  do  so,  till 
all  be  lost,  or  that  he  is  provoked  by  too  much  vio- 
lence, or  that  antichrist  is  put  in  substitution,  and 
*  sin  reigns  in  our  mortal  body.'  So  that  I  may 
use  the  words  of  St.  John,  'These  things  I  write 
unto  you,  that  you  sin  not.  But  if  any  man  sin, 
we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Clirist 
the  righteous.  And  he  is  a  propitiation  for  our 
sins;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world."  That  is  plainly,  although  the  de 
sign  of  the  gospel  be,  that  we  should  erect  a  throne 
for  Christ  to  reign  in  our  spirits,  and  this  doctrine  o. 
innocence  be  therefore  preached  that  we  sin  not 
yet  if  once  be  overtaken  in  a  fault,  despair  not 
Christ  is  our  advocate,  and  he  is  the  jiropitiation 

'  Acta,  viii.  20,  22,  23.  '  Verse  22,  23. 

^  I  John,  i.  1,  2. 


110  or    REPENIANCE 

he  did  propitiate  the  Father  by  Ins  death,  and  tue 
benefit  of  that  we  receive  at  our  first  access  to  him; 
but  tlien  he  is  our  advocate  too,  and  prays  perpetu- 
ally for  our  perseverance  or  restitution  respec- 
tively. But  this  purpose  is,  and  he  is  able  so  to  do, 
*  to  keep  you  from  falling',  and  to  present  you  fault- 
less before  the  presence  of  his  glory.' 

20.  This  consideration  I  intend  should  relate  to 
all  Christians  of  the  world.  And  although,  by  the 
present  custom  of  the  church,  we  are  baptized  in 
our  infancy,  and  do  not  actually  reap  that  fruit  of 
present  pardon  which  persons  of  a  mature  age  in 
the  primitive  church  did  ;  (for  we  yet  need  it  not, 
as  we  shall  when  we  have  passed  the  calentures  of 
yovith,  which  was  the  time  which  the  wisest  of  our 
fathers  in  Christ  chose  for  their  baptism,  as  appears 
in  the  instance  of  St.  Ambrose,  St.  Austin,  and 
divers  others;)  yet  we  must  remember,  that  there  is 
baptism  of  the  Spirit  as  well  as  of  water.  And 
whenever  this  happens,  whether  it  be  together  with 
tlie  baptism  of  water,  as  usually  it  was  when 
only  men  and  women  of  years  of  discretion  were 
baptized  ;  or  whether  it  be  ministered  in  the  rite  of 
confirmation,  which  is  an  admirable  suppletory  of 
an  early  baptism,  and  intended  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
for  a  corroborative  of  baptismal  grace,  and  a  deferi- 
sative  against  danger;  or  that,  lastly,  it  be  performed 
by  an  internal  and  merely  spiritual  ministry,  wiien 
we,  by  acts  of  our  own  election,  verify  the  promise 
made  in  baptism,  and  so  bring  back  the  rite,  liy  re- 
ceiving the  effect  of  baptism  ;  that  is,  whenever  tlie 
'filth  of  our  flesh  is  washed  away,*  and  that  we 
have  '  the  answer  of  a  pure  conscience  towards 
God,'  which  St.  Peter  affirms  to  be  the  true  baptism 
and  which,  by  the  purpose  and  design  of  God.  it  ' 


OF    REPENTANCE.  141 

expected  we  should  not  defer  longer  than  a  great 
reason  or  a  great  necessity  enforces  ;  when  our  sins 
are  first  expiated,  and  the  sacrifice  and  death  ot 
Christ  is  made  ours,  and  we  made  God's  by  a  more 
immediate  title  ;  (which  at  some  time  or  other  hap- 
pens to  all  Christians,  that  pretend  to  any  hopes  ot 
heaven  ;)  then  let  us  look  to  our  standing,  and 
•  take  heed  lest  we  fall.'  When  we  once  have 
tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  are  made  partakers 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  have  tasted  the  good  word 
of  God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come;  that 
is,  when  we  are  redeemed  by  an  actual  mercy  and 
))re.sentiul  application,  which  every  Christian  that 
belongs  to  (iod  is  at  some  time  or  other  of  his  life; 
then  a  fall  into  a  deadly  crime  is  liighly  dangerous, 
but  a  relapse  into  a  contrary  estate  is  next  to  des- 
perate. 

21.  I  represent  this  sad,  but  most  true  doctrine, 
in  the  words  of  St.  Peter  :  '  If  after  they  have 
escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world  through  the 
knowledge  of  the  liOrd  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
they  are  again  entangled  therein,  and  overcome ; 
the  latter  end  is  worse  with  them  than  the  begin- 
ning. For  it  had  been  better  for  them  not  to  have 
known  the  way  of  righteousness,  than  after  they 
have  known  it,  to  turn  from  the  holy  command- 
ment delivered  unto  them.''  So  that  a  relapse,  after 
a  state  of  grace  into  a  state  of  sin,  into  confirmed 
habits,  is  to  us  a  great  sign,  and  possibly  in  itself 
it  is  more  than  a  sign,  even  a  state  of  reprobation 
and  final  abscission. 

22.  The  sum  of  all  is  this : — There  are  two  states 
of  iike  opposite  terms.     First,  '  Christ  redeems  us 

'  2  1'«t.  ii.  20, '21. 


142  OF    REI'ENTANCE. 

from  our  vain  conversation,'  and  reconciles  us  to 
God,  putting  us  into  an  entire  condition  of  pardon, 
favour,  innocence,  and  acceptance,  and  becomes 
our  Lord  and  King-,  liis  Spirit  dwelling  and  reign- 
ing in  us.  The  opposite  state  to  this,  is  that  which 
in  Scripture  is  called  a  '  crucifying  the  Lord  of 
life,'   a   '  doing  despite  to   the    spirit  of  grace,'  a 

•  being  entangled  in  the  pollutions  of  the  world, 
the  '  apostacy,'  or  '  falling  away,'  an  impotency  or 
disability  to  do  good,  viz.  of  such  *  who  cannot 
cease  from  sin'  who  are  slaves  of  sin,  and  of  whom 

*  sin  reigns  in  their  bodies.' '  This  condition  is  a 
full  and  integral  deletery  of  the  first:  it  is  such  a 
condition,  which  as  it  hath  no  holiness  or  remanent 
affections  to  virtue,  so  it  hath  no  hope  or  revelation 
of  a  mercy,  because  all  that  benefit  is  lost  which 
they  received  by  the  death  of  Christ,  and  tlie  first 
being  lost '  there  remains  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins, 
but  a  certain  fearful  expectation  of  judgment.' 
But  between  these  two  states  stand  all  those  imper- 
fections and  single  delinquencies,  those  slips  and 
falls,  those  parts  of  recession  and  apostacy,  those 
grievings  of  the  Spirit :  and  so  long  as  any  thing  of 
the  first  state  is  left,  so  long  we  are  witliin  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  so  long  we  are  within  the  ordinary 
limits  of  mercy  and  the  divine  compassion:  we  are 
in  possibilities  of  recovery,  and  the  same  sacrifice 
of  Christ  hath  its  power  over  us:  Christ  is  in  his 
possession,  though  he  be  disturbed.  But  then  our 
restitution  consists  upon  the  only  condition  of  a  re- 
novation of  our  integrity  :  as  are  the  degrees  of  our 
innocence,  so  are  our  degrees  of  confidence. 

23.  Now  because  the  intermedial  state  is  divi- 

'  2  Pet.  ii.  14. 


OF    REPENTANCK.  143 

Bible,  various,  successive,  and  allerablt- ;  eo  also  is 
our  condition  of  pardon.  Our  flesh  shall  no  more 
return  as  that  of  a  little  child,  our  wounds  shall 
never  be  perfectly  cured;  but  a  scar,  and  pain,  and 
danger  of  a  relapse  shall  for  ever  afflict  us.  Our 
sins  shall  be  pardoned  by  j)arls  and  dej^rees,  to 
uncertain  ])urposes,  but  with  certain  dan<,'er  of  being 
recalled  again  :  and  the  pardon  shall  never  be  con- 
summate till  that  day  in  w  hich  all  things  have  their 
consummation. 

24.  And  this  is  evident  to  have  been  God's 
usual  dealing  with  all  those  upon  w  horn  his  name  is 
called.  God  pardoned  David's  sins  of  adultery 
and  murder ;  but  the  pardon  was  but  to  a  certain  de- 
gree, and  in  It  limited  expression  :  'God  hath  taken 
away  thy  sin,  thou  shall  not  die.' '  But  this  pardon 
was  as  imperfect  as  his  condition  was :  '  nevertheless 
the  child  that  is  bom  unto  thee,  that  shall  die." 
Thus  God  pardoned  the  Israelites  at  the  importu- 
nity of  Moses,  and  yet  threatened  to  visit  that  sin 
upon  them  in  the  day  of  visitation.  And  so  it  is 
in  Christianity  :  when  once  we  have  broke  and  dis- 
composed the  golden  chain  of  vocotion,  election, 
and  justification,  which  are  entire  links  and  metho- 
dical j)eri<)ds  of  our  happiness  when  we  first  give 
up  our  names  to  Christ,  for  ever  after  our  condi- 
tion is  imperfect;  we  have  broken  our  covenant, 
and  we  must  be  saved  by  the  excrescences  and  over- 
flowings of  nv.rcy.  Our  whole  endeavour  must  be 
to  be  reduced  to  the  state  of  our  bajjtismal  inno- 
cence and  integrity,  because  in  that  the  covenant 
was  establi?<hed.  And  since  our  life  is  full  of  de- 
failances,  and  all  our  endeavours  can  never  make 
us  buch  as  Christ  made  us,  and  yet  upon  that  con- 
■  2  biani.  xii.  13,  U. 


i44  or    REPENTANCE. 

tlition  our  hopes  of  happiness  were  established,  1 
mean,  of  remaining  such  as  he  had  made  us;  as  are 
the  dej^rees  of  our  restitution  and  access  to  the  first 
federal  condition,  so  also  are  the  dej^rees  of  our  par- 
don :  but  as  it  is  always  in  imperfection  during^  this 
life,  and  subject  to  change  and  defailance ;  so  also 
are  the  hopes  of  our  felicity,  never  certain  till  we 
are  taken  from  all  danger,  never  perfect  till  all  that 
is  imperfect  in  us  is  done  away. 

25.  And  therefore  in  the  present  condition  of 
things  our  pardon  was  properly  expressed  by  Da- 
vid and  St.  Paul,  by  '  a  covering,'  and  '  a  not  im- 
puting.'' For  because  the  body  of  sin  dies  divisibly, 
and  fights  perpetually,  and  disputes  with  hopes  of 
"f'ictory,  and  may  also  prevail,  all  this  life  is  a  con- 
otion  of  suspense ;  our  sin  is  rather  covered,  than 
properly  pardoned  ;  God's  wrath  is  suspended,  not 
satisfied ;  the  sin  is  not  to  all  purposes  of  anger  im- 
puted, but  yet  is  in  some  sense  remanent,  or  at 
least  lies  ready  at  the  door.  Our  condition  is  a 
state  of  imperfection ;  and  every  degree  of  imper- 
fection brings  a  degree  of  recession  from  the  state 
Christ  puts  us  in  ;  and  every  recession  from  our  in- 
nocence is  also  an  abatement  of  our  confidence  . 
the  anger  of  God  hovers  over  our  head,  and  breaks 
out  into  temporal  judgments;  and  he  retracts  ihem 
again,  and  threatens  worse,  according  as  we  ap- 
proach to,  or  retire  from  that  first  innocence,  which 
was  the  first  entertainment  of  a  Christian,  and  the 
crown  of  the  evangelical  covenant.  Upon  that  we 
entertained  the  mercies  of  redemption;  and  God 
established  it  upon  such  an  obedience  which  is  a 
constant,  perpetual,  and  universal  sincerity  and  en- 
deavour.    And  as  we  perform  our  part,  so  God  ve- 

'  I'sahn,  xxxii.  1,2;   Rom.  iv,  7- 


OF    REPENTANCE.  146 

rifles  his  ;  and  not  only  gives  a  great  assistance,  l)v 
the  perpetual  influences  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  by 
which  we  are  consig^ned  to  the  day  of  redemption, 
hut  also  takes  an  account  of  obedience,  not  accord- 
ing to  the  standard  of  the  law  and  an  exact  scru- 
tiny, but  by  an  evangelical  pro])ortion,  in  which 
we  are  on  one  side  looked  upon  as  persons  already 
redeemed  and  assisted,  and  therefore  highly  en- 
ga<fed  ;  and  on  the  other  side,  as  compassed  about 
with  infirmities  and  enemies,  and  therefore  much 
pitied.  So  that,  as  at  first,  our  calling  and  election 
is  presently  good,  and  shall  remain  so,  if  we  make 
it  sure  :  so  if  we  once  prevaricate  it,  we  are  rendered 
then  full  of  hazard,  difficulty,  and  uncertainty,  and 
we  must  with  pains  and  sedulity  '  work  out  our 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling;'  first  by  prevent- 
ing a  fall,  or  afterwards  by  returning  to  that  excel- 
lent condition  from  whence  we  have  departed. 

26.  But  although  the  pardon  of  sins  after  bap- 
tism be,  during  this  life,  difficult,  imperfect,  and 
revokable ;  yet  because  it  is  to  great  effects  for  the 
present,  and  in  order  to  a  complete  pardon  in  the 
day  of  judgment,  we  are  next  to  enquire,  what  are 
the  parts  of  duty  to  which  we  are  obliged  after  such 
prevarications,  whicli  usually  interrupt  tlie  state  of 
baptismal  innocence  and  the  life  of  the  Spirit.  St. 
John  gives  this  account:  *  If  we  say  we  have  fel- 
lowship with  God,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie, 
and  do  not  the  truth.  But  if  we  walk  in  the  light, 
as  he  is  in  the  light,  we  have  communion  one  with 
another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin.''  Tliis  state  of  duty  St.  Paul  calls  '  a  cast- 
ing ofl'  the  works  of  darkness,  a  putting  on  the  ar- 

'  I  John,  i  (», 
VOL.  U.  10 


146  OF   REPENTANCr. 

mour  of  light,  a  walking  honestly,  a  putting  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.''  And  to  it  he  confronts, 
'  making  provision  for  the  flesh,  to  fulfil  the  lusts 
thereof.'  St.  Peter,  describing  the  duty  of  a  Chris- 
tian, relates  the  proportion  of  it  as  high  as  the 
first  precedent,  even  God  himself:  '  As  he  which 
hath  called  you  is  holy,  so  be  ye  holy  in  all  manner 
of  conversation  ;  not  fashioning  yourselves  accord- 
ing to  your  former  lusts."  And  again,  '  Seeing 
tlien  that  all  these  things  shall  be  dissolved, 
what  manner  of  persons  ought  v/e  to  be  in  all  holy 
conversation  and  godliness  ?*^  And  St.  John,  with 
the  same  severity  and  perfection :  '  Every  one  that 
hath  this  hope  (that  is,  every  one  who  either  does 
not,  or  hath  no  reason  to  despair,)  purifieth  himself, 
even  as  God  is  pure  ;'^  meaning,  that  he  is  pure  by 
a  divine  purity,  which  God  hath  prescribed  as  an 
imitation  of  his  holiness,  according  to  our  capaci- 
ties and  probabilities.  That  purity  must  needs 
be  a  '  laying  aside  all  malice  and  guile,  and  hypo- 
crisies, and  envies,  and  evil  speakings  ;'*  so  St. 
Peter  expresses  it :  a  '  laying  aside  every  weight 
and  the  sin  that  does  so  easily  beset  us  ;'*'  so  St 
Paul:  this  is  to  '  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in  the 
light,  for  in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all  :''^  which  we 
have  then  imitated,  when  we  have  escaped  the  cor- 
ruption that  is  in  the  world  through  lusts;'  that  is, 
so  as  we  are  not  held  by  them,  that  we  lake  them 
for  our  enemies,  for  the  object  and  jjarty  of  our  con- 
testation and  spiritual  fight;  when  we  contend 
earnestly  against  them,  and  resist  them  unto  blood, 
if  need  be;  that  is  being  pure  as  he  is  pure.     But 

«  Rom.  xiii.  11,  i;},  14.  -'  1  Pet.i.  14,  15. 

=•2  Pel.  iii.  11.  ■•  1  John,  iii.  3. 

MPet.  ii.  1.  "Heb.xiil.  M  John.i.  7,  8;  2Pel.  1.4. 


OF    REPENTANCE.  147 

besides  this  positive  rejection  of  all  evil,  and  perpe- 
tually conteslinc:  a<jainst  sin,  we  must  pursue  the 
interests  of  virtue  and  an  active  religion. 

27.  And  '  besides  this,'  saith  St.  Peter, '  giving 
all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith  virtue,  to  your  vir- 
tue knov\  ledge,  and  to  knowledge  temperance,  and 
to  temperance  patience,  and  to  patience  godliness, 
and  to  godliness  brotherly  kindness,  and  to  brotherly 
kindness  charity.''  All  this  is  an  evident  prosecution 
of  the  first  design  ;  the  holiness  and  righteousness 
of  a  whole  life,  the  being  clear  from  all  spots  and 
blemishes,  a  beingf  pure,  and  so  presented  unto 
Christ :  for  upon  this  the  covenant  being  founded, 
to  this  all  industries  must  endeavour,  and  arrive  in 
their  proportions.  '  For  if  these  things  be  in  you 
and  abound,  they  shall  make  that  you  be  neither 
barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  But  he  that  lacketli  these  things  is 
blind,  and  hath  forgotten  he  was  purged  from  his 
old  sins;'*  that  is,  he  hath  lost  his  baptismal  grace, 
and  is  put  from  the  first  state  of  his  redemption 
towards  that  state  which  is  contradictory  and  de- 
structive of  it. 

28.  Now  because  all  these  things  are  in  latitude, 
distance,  and  divisibility,  and  only  enjoin  a  sedulity 
and  great  endeavour,  all  that  we  can  dwell  upon  is 
this,  that  he  who  endeavours  most  is  most  secure, 

'  2  Pet.  i.  5—7-  Veri  boni  aviditas  tuta  est.  Quid  .sit  istud, 
interrogas  ?  aut  unde  siibeai?  dicam  :  ex  bona  cotisciemia,  ex 
lionestisconsiliis,  ex  rcctis  actionibus,  ex  conteinptu  fortuitorum, 
ex  placido  vitiR  el  continuo  tenore  unam  prcmeiitis  viam.  8en.  ep. 
2',\. — "  There  is  safety  in  the  desire  of  irue  good.  Do  you  iisk 
whence  it  comes  ?  I  will  tell  you:  frrni  a  good  conscience; 
froni  right  principles,  from  good  actions,  from  a  contempt  for 
fortune,  and  from  a  tranquil  and  even  tenour  of  life." 

^  2  Pet.  L  8,  U, 


148  OF    REPENTANCE. 

and  every  decfree  of  neg'lioence  is  a  degree  of  dan- 
ger ;  and  althoui^h,  in  the  intermedial  condition 
between  the  two  states  of  Christianity  and  a  full 
impiety,  there  is  a  state  of  recovery  and  possibility, 
yet  there  is  danger  in  every  part  of  it,  and  it  in- 
creases according  as  the  deflexion  and  irregularity 
comes  to  its  height,  position,  state,  and  finality. 
So  that  we  must  give  all  diligence  to  work  out  our 
salvation,  and  it  would  ever  be  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling: with  fear  that  we  do  not  lose  our  innocence; 
and  with  trembling,  if  we  have  lost  it,  for  fear  we 
never  recover,  or  never  be  accepted.  But  holiness 
of  life  and  uninterrupted  sanctity  being  the  condi- 
tion of  our  salvation,  the  ingredient  of  the  cove- 
nant, we  must  proportion  our  degrees  of  hope  and 
confidence  of  heaven  according  as  we  have  ob- 
tained degrees  of  innocence,  or  perseverance,  or 
restitution.  Only  this :  as  it  is  certain  he  is  in  a 
state  of  reprobation  who  lives  unto  sin  ;  that  is, 
whose  actions  are  habitually  criminal,  who  gives 
more  of  his  consent  to  wickedness  than  to  virtue; 
so  it  is  also  certain  he  is  not  in  the  state  of  Gods 
favour  and  sanctification,  unless  he  lives  unto 
righteousness ;  that  is,  unless  his  desires,  and  pur- 
poses, and  endeavours,  and  actions,  and  customs 
are  spiritual,  holy,  sanctified,  and  obedient.  When 
sin  is  dead,  and  the  Spirit  is  life  ;  when  the  lusts 
of  the  flesh  are  mortified,  and  the  heart  is  purged 
from  an  evil  conscience,  and  we  abound  in  a  whole 
system  of  Christian  virtues;  when  our  hearts  are 
riglitto  God,  and  with  our  afli"ections  and  our  wills 
we  love  God  and  keep  his  commandments;  when 
we  do  not  only  cry.  Lord,  Lord,  but  also  do  his 
will,  then  Christ  dwells  in  us,  and  we  in  Christ. 
Now  let  all  this  be  taken  in  the  low  est  sense  that 


OF    nCPENTANCr.  149 

can  1)e  iniap^ined  ;  all,  T  say,  wliicli  out  of  Scripture 
I  have  transcribed  ; — '  cahtini^  away  every  weij^lit, 
layinp^  aside  all  malice,  mortifyinfj  the  deeds  of  tiie 
flesh,  cnicifyirii^  the  old  man  with  all  his  affections 
and  lusts;'  and  then, '  having  escaped  the  corruption 
that  is  in  the  world  throup^h  lust,'  besides  this, 
'  addinij  virtue  to  virtue,'  till  '  all  ri^rhteousness  be 
riilfilled  in  us,  walking'  in  the  light,  putting  on  tlie 
Lord  Jesus,  purifying  ourselves  as  God  is  pure,  fol- 
lowing peace  with  all  men,  and  holiness,  resisting 
unto  blood,  living  in  the  Spirit,  being  holy  in  all 
manner  of  conversation  as  he  is  holy,  L)eing  careful 
and  excellent  in  all  conversation  and  godliness;' — 
all  this,  l)eing  a  pursuit  of  the  first  design  of  Christ's 
death  and  our  reconcilement,  can  mean  no  less  but 
that,  1 ,  We  should  have  in  us  no  affection  to  a  sin  ; 
of  which  we  can  best  judge  when  we  never  choose 
it,  and  never  fall  under  it  but  by  surprise,  and 
never  lie  under  it  at  all,  but  instantly  recover, 
judging  ourselves  severely  :  and,  2,  That  we  should 
choose  virtue  with  great  freedom  of  spirit  and  ala- 
crity, and  pursue  it  earnestly,  integrally,  and  make 
it  the  V)usiuess  of  our  lives:  and,  3,  That  the  effect 
of  this  be,  that  sin  be  crucified  in  us,  and  the  de- 
sires to  it  dead,  flat,  and  useless  ;  and  that  our  de- 
sires of  serving  Christ  be  quick-spirited,  active, 
and  effective,  inquisitive  for  opportunities,  appre- 
hensive of  the  offer,  cheerful  in  the  action,  and  per- 
severing in  t  '   employment. 

29.  Now  let  a  pru(le\it  person  imagine  what  in- 
firmities and  oversights  can  consist  with  a  state 
thus  descril)ed,  and  all  that  does  no  violence  to  the 
covenant:  God  pities  us,  and  calls  us  not  to  an  ac- 
count for  what  morally  cannot, or  certainly  will  not 
with  <;reat  industry  !)e  prevented.     Hut  whatsoever 


150  OF    REPENTANCE. 

is  inconsistent  with  this  condition,  is  an  abatement 
from  our  hopes,  as  it  is  a  retiring  from  our  duty; 
and  is  will)  greater  or  less  difficulty  cured,  as  are 
the  degrees  of  its  distance  from  that  condition 
which  Christ  stipulated  with  us  when  we  became 
his  disciples  :  for  we  are  just  so  restored  to  our  state 
of  grace  and  favour,  as  we  are  restored  to  our  state 
of  purity  and  holiness.  Now  this  redintegration, 
or  renewing  of  us  into  the  first  condition,  is  also 
called  repentance,  and  is  permitted  to  all  persons 
who  still  remain  within  the  powers  and  possibilities 
of  the  covenant;  that  is,  who  are  not  in  a  state  con- 
tradictory to  the  state  and  portion  of  grace ;  but 
with  a  difficulty  increased  by  all  circumstances 
and  incidences  of  the  crime  and  person.  And  this 
I  shall  best  represent  in  repeating  these  consider- 
ations ;  1.  Some  sins  are  past  hopes  of  pardon  in 
this  life.  2.  All  that  are  pardoned  are  par- 
doned by  parts,  revocably  and  imperfectly  dur- 
ing this  life^  not  quickly  nor  yet  manifestly. 
3.  Repentance  contains  in  it  many  operations, 
parts,  and  employments;  its  terms  and  purpose 
being  to  redintegrate  our  lost  condition  ;  that  is,  in 
a  second  and  less  perfect  sense ;  but  as  much  as  in 
such  circumstances  we  can,  to  verify  our  first  obli- 
gations of  innocence  and  holiness  in  all  manner  of 
conversation  and  godliness. 

.30.  Concerning  the  first,  it  is  too  sad  a  consider- 
ation to  be  too  dogmatical  and  conclusive  in  it ; 
and  therefore  I  shall  only  recal  those  expresses  of 
Scripture  wliicli  may,  without  envy,  decree  the  arti- 
cle :  such  as  those  of  St.  Paul,  that  there  is  a  cer- 
tain sort  of  men,  whom  he  twice  describes,  whom 
*  it  is  impossible  to  renew  again  unto  repentance;' 
or   those  of  St.  Peter,   such  whose  '  latter  end  is 


OF    REPENTANCK.  15 1 

worse  than  tlie  bei^inning",  because  after  they  once 
had  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  woild,  they  are 
entant^led  lhert;in  ;'  such  who,  as  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour threatens,  '  shall  never  be  forgiven  in  this 
world,  nor  in  the  world  to  come  :'  for  there  is  an 
unpardonable  estate,  by  reason  of  its  malice  and 
opposition  to  the  covenant  of  grace;  and  there  is  a 
state  unpardonable,  because  the  time  of  repentance 
is  past.  There  are  days  and  periods  of  grace: 
'  If  thou  liadst  known,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,' 
said  the  weeping  Saviour  of  the  world,  to  fore- 
known and  determined  Jerusalem.  When  God's 
decrees  are  gone  out,  they  are  not  always  revocable; 
and  therefore  it  was  a  great  caution  of  the  apostle, 
that  we  should  '  follow  peace  and  holiness,' and  'look 
diligently  that  we  fall  not  from  the  grace  of  God  ;' 
lest  any  of  us  become  like  Esau,  to  whose  repentance 
there  was  no  place  left,  '  though  he  sought  it  care- 
fully with  tears  :' '  meaning,  that  we  also  may  put 
ourselves  into  a  condition  when  it  shall  be  impos- 
sible we  should  be  renewed  unto  repentance.  And 
those  are  they  who  '  sin  a  sin  unto  death,'*  for  whom 
we  have  from  the  apostle  no  encouragement  to  pray. 
And  these  are  in  so  general  and  conclusive  terms 
described  in  Scripture,  that  every  persevering  sin- 
ner hath  great  reason  to  suspect  himself  to  be 
in  the  number.  If  he  endeavours,  as  soon  as  he 
thinks  of  it,  to  recover,  it  is  the  best  sign  he  was  not 
arrived  so  far  :  but  he  that  liveth  long  in  a  violent 
and  habitual  course  of  sin,  is  at  the  margin  and 
brim  o(  that  state  of  final  reprobation  ;  and  some  men 
are  in  it  before  they  be  aware  ;  and  to  some  God 
reckons  their  days  s\wfter,  and  their  periods  shorter. 

'  Heb.  xii.  14,  15,  IG,  17-  M  John,  t.  16. 


152  OF    RKPENTANCE. 

The  use  1  make  of  this  consideration  is,  that  if  any 
man  hath  reason  to  suspect,  or  to  be  certain,  that  his 
time  of  repentance  is  past,  it  is  most  likely  to  be  a 
death-bed  penitent,  after  a  vicious  life,  a  life  con- 
trary to  the  mercies  and  grace  of  the  evangelical 
covenant:  for  he  hath  provoked  God  as  long  as  he 
could,  and  rejected  the  offers  of  grace  as  long  as  he 
lived,  and  refused  virtue  till  he  could  not  entertain 
her,  and  hath  done  all  those  things  which  a  person 
rejected  from  hopes  of  repentance  can  easily  be 
imagined  to  have  done.  And  if  there  be  any  time 
of  rejection,  although  it  may  be  earlier,  yet  it  is 
also  certainly  the  last. 

31.  Concerning  the  second,  I  shall  add  this  to 
the  former  discourse  of  it,  that  perfect  pardon  of 
sins  is  not  in  this  world  at  all,  after  the  first  emis- 
sion and  great  efflux  of  it  in  our  first  regeneration. 
During  this  life  we  are  in  imperfection,  minority, 
and  under  conditions  vv'hich  we  have  prevaricated, 
and  our  recovery  is  in  perpetual  flux,  in  heightenings 
and  declensions;  and  we  are  highly  uncertain  of 
our  acceptation,  because  we  are  not  certain  of  our 
restitution  and  innocence  ;  we  know  not  whether  we 
have  done  a'i  ihat  is  sufficient  to  repair  the  breach 
made  in  the  first  state  of  favour  and  baptismal 
grace.  But  '  he  that  is  dead,'  saith  St.  Paul,  '  is 
justified  from  sin;''  not  till  then.  And  therefore, 
in  the  doctrine  of  the  most  learned  .Fews  it  is 
affirmed  :  "  He  that  is  guilty  of  tlie  ])rofanation  of 
tlie  name  of  God,  he  shall  not  interruj>t  the  appa- 
rent malignity  of  it  by  his  present  rej)entance,  nor 
make  atonement  in  the  day  of  expiation,  nor  wash 
the  stains  away  by  chastising  of  himself ;  but  during 

'  Rom.  vi.  7 


OF    Rr.ri'NTANCE.  \6'i 

his  life  it  remains  wholly  in  suspense,  and  before 
death  is  not  exlini^uished  ;  accordinsf  to  the  saying 
of  the  propliet  Isaiah  :  '  'I'his  iniquity  shall  not  be 
blotted  oui  till  ye  die,  saith  the  L'^rd  of  Hosts.'' 
And  some  wise  persons  have  affirmed,  that  Jacob 
related  to  this  in  his  exj)ression  and  appellatives  of 
God,  whom  he  called  '  the  God  of  Abraham,  and 
the  fear  of  his  father  Isaac:'*  because  (as  the 
doctors  of  the  Jews  tell  us)  Abraham  bein^^  dead, 
was  ascribed  into  tlie  final  condition  of  God's 
family  ;  but  Isaac,  beinji^  livin;^,  had  apjirehensions 
of  (iod  not  only  of  a  pious,  but  also  of  a  tremulous 
fear  :  he  was  not  sure  of  his  own  condition,  much 
less  of  the  degrees  of  his  reconciliation,  how  far 
God  liad  forgiven  his  sins,  and  how  far  he  had  re- 
lainrd  them.  And  it  is  certain,  tliat  if  every  degree 
of  the  divine  favour  be  not  assured  by  a  holy  life, 
those  sins  of  whose  pardon  we  were  most  hopeful, 
return  in  as  full  vigour  and  clamorous  importunity 
as  ever,  and  are  made  more  vocal  by  the  appendant 
ingratitude,  and  other  accidental  degrees.  And 
ihis  Christ  taught  us  by  a  parable :  for  as  the  Lord 
made  his  uncliaritable  servant  pay  all  that  debt 
which  lie  liad  formerly  forgiven  him,  even  'so 
will  (iod  do  to  us,  if  we  from  our  hearts  forgive 
not  one  another  their  trespasses.'^  '  Behold  the 
goodness  and  severity  of  God,'*  saith  St.  Paul, 
'  on  them  which  fell  severity  ;  but  on  thee  good- 
ness, if  thou  continue  in  that  goodness ;  otherw  ise 
thou  shalt  be  cut  off:  for  this  is  my  covenant, 
which  I  shall  make  witli  them,  when  I  shall  take 
awav  their  sins.'*    And  if  this  be  true  in  tliose  sins 


'   Isaiah,  xxii.  II.  '  Gen.  xxxi.  42. 

'  Matth.  xviii.  :{.">.  '   Roni.  xi.  22,         ^  Ibid,  verse 27- 


151  OF    RF.PK.NTANCE. 

vvhicli  God  certainly  hath  forgotten,  sucli  as  were 
all  those  which  were  committed  before  our  illumi- 
nation, much  rather  is  it  true  in  those  which  we 
committed  after,  concerning  whose  actual  and  full 
jiardon  we  cannot  be  certain  without  a  revelation. 
So  that  our  pardon  of  sins,  when  it  is  granted  after 
the  breach  of  our  covenant,  is  just  so  secure  as  our 
perseverance  is :  concerning  which,  because  we 
must  ascertain  it  as  well  as  we  can,  but  ever  with 
fear  and  trembling,  so  also  is  the  estate  of  our 
pardon,  hazardous,  conditional,  revocable,  and  un- 
certain. And  therefore,  the  best  of  men  do  all 
their  lives  ask  pardon  even  of  those  sins  for  which 
they  have  wept  bitterly,  and  done  the  sharpest  and 
severest  penance.  And  if  it  be  necessary,  we  pray 
that  we  may  not  enter  into  temptation,  l)ecause 
temptation  is  full  of  danger,  and  the  danger  may 
bring  a  sin,  and  the  sin  may  ruin  us ;  it  is  also  ne- 
cessary that  we  understand  the  condition  of  our 
pardon  to  be,  as  is  the  condition  of  our  person,  va- 
riable as  will,  sudden  as  affections,  alterable  as  our 
pur[)oses,  revocable  as  our  own  good  intentions, 
and  then  made  as  ineffective  as  our  inclinations  to 
good  actions.  And  there  is  no  way  to  secure  our 
confidence  and  our  hope  but  by  being  perfect,  and 
holy,  and  pure,  as  our  heavenly  Father  is;  that  is, 
in  the  sense  of  human  capacity,  free  from  the  habits, 
of  all  sin,  and  active  and  industrious,  and  continu- 
ing  in  the  ways  of  godliness  :  for  upon  this  only 
the  promise  is  built,  and  by  our  proportion  to  this 
state  we  must  projJortion  our  confidence;  we  have 
no  other  revelation.  Christ  reconciled  us  to  his 
Father  upon  no  other  conditions,  and  made  the 
covenant  upon  no  other  articles  but  of  a  holy  life,  in 
obedience  universal  and  perpetual :  and  the  abate- 


OV    lU-PKNTANCT.  155 

menls  of  the  rigorous  sense  of  the  words,  as  they 
are  such  us  may  infinitely  testify  and  prove  liis 
mercy,  so  they  are  such  as  must  secure  our  duty 
and  habitual  g;races  ;  an  industry,  manly,  constant, 
and  Christian.  And  because  these  have  so  great 
latitude,  (and  to  what  dej^rees  (iod  will  accept  our 
returns  he  hath  nowhere  punctually  described,)  he 
that  is  most  severe  in  his  determination  does  best 
secure  himself,  and  by  exacting  the  strictest  ac- 
count of  himself,  shall  obtain  the  easier  scrutiny  at 
the  hands  of  Cud.  The  use  I  make  of  this  consider- 
ation is  to  tlie  same  purpose  vvitii  the  former.  For 
if  every  (hiy  of  sin,  and  every  criminal  act  is  a  de- 
gree of  recess  from  the  possibilities  of  heaven,  it 
would  be  considered  at  how  great  distance  a  death- 
bed penitent,  after  a  vicious  life,  miiy  apprehend 
himself  to  stand  lor  mercy  and  pardon  :  and  since 
the  terms  of  restitution  must,  in  labour  and  in  ex- 
tension of  time,  or  intension  of  degrees,  be  of 
value  great  enougli  to  restore  him  to  some  propor- 
tion or  equivalence  with  that  state  of  grace  from 
whence  he  is  fallen,  and  upon  which  the  covenant 
was  made  with  him  ;  how  impossible,  or  how  near 
to  impossible,  it  will  appear  to  him  to  go  S3  far, 
and  do  so  much  in  that  state,  and  in  those  circum- 
stances of  disability ! 

3'2.  Concerning  the  third  particular,  I  consider 
that  repentance,  as  it  is  described  in  Scripture,  is 
a  system  of  holy  duties,  not  of  one  kind,  not  pro- 
j)erly  consisting  of  parts,  as  if  it  were  a  single 
grace ;  but  it  is  the  reparation  of  that  estate  into 
which  Christ  first  put  us;  'a  renewing  us  in  the 
spirit  of  our  mind,'  so  the  apostle  calls  it:  and  the 
Holy  (iliost  lialh  taught  this  truth  to  us  by  the  im- 
plication of  many  appellatives,  and  also  by  express 


lOfi  OF    RKPENTANCE. 

discourses  :  for  there  is  in  Scripture,  '  a  repent- 
ance to  be  repented  of,' '  and  '  a  repentance  never 
to  be  repented  of.'^  The  first  is  mere  sorrow  for 
what  is  past,  an  ineffective  trouble  producing  no- 
thing' good  :  such  as  was  the  repentance  of  Judas ; 
he  repented,  and  hanged  himself;  and  such  was 
that  of  Esau,  when  it  was  too  late  ;  and  so  was  the 
repentance  of  the  five  foolish  virgins :  which  ex- 
amples tell  us  also  when  ours  is  an  impertinent 
and  ineffectual  repentance.  To  this  repentance 
pardon  is  nowhere  promised  in  Scripture.  But 
there  is  a  repentance  which  is  called  conversion,  or 
amendment  of  life;  a  repentance  productive  of 
holy  fruits,  such  as  the  Baptist  and  our  blessed 
Saviour  preached,  such  as  himself  also  propounded 
in  the  example  of  the  Ninevites;  they  'repented 
at  the  preaching  of  Jonah  ;'^  that  is,  '  they  fasted, 
the}'  covered  them  in  sackcloth,  they  cried  migiitily 
unto  God;  yea,  they  turned  every  one  from  his  evil 
way,  and  from  the  violence  that  was  in  their  hands.' 
And  this  was  it  that  appeased  God  in  that  instance. 
'  God  saw  their  works,  that  they  turned  from  their 
evil  way  ;  and  God  repented  of  the  evil,  and  did  it 
not." 

33.  The  same  character  of  repentance  we  find  in 
the  prophet  Ezekiel :  '  When  the  wicked  man 
turneth  away  from  his  wickedness  that  he  hath 
committed,  and  doth  that  whicli  is  lawful  and 
right  ;'^  'If  the    wicked    restore   the  pledge,  give 

*  MtTajxiXeia. 

'  'MsTcit'oia.  'MerafitXrjOtig  tTrfTpfips,  cui  in  Act.  Apost. 
opponitur  usTcn'otjeraTi  hv  k,  iTTiTpEvl/ars,  Act.  iii.  19.  Huic 
enim  promittitur  petcatorum  remissio  in  seq.  ti'f  to  i'(aX£i<j>- 
9ijvaL  viiwi'  TUQ  ufiapriaQ. 

'■>  Mat.  xii.  4.         '  ■•  Jonah,  iii.  7,  8,  10. 

•  Ezek.  xviii.  27. 


Of    lU.l'KNTXNCR.  10/ 

aprain  that  he  had  r()})h('(1,  walk  in  the  statutes  of 
life  without  conimiltiiiL,''  iuicjiiity,  lie  hath  done 
that  which  is  lawful  and  rii^lit;  he  shall  surely  live, 
he  shall  not  die.''  And  in  the  gospel  repentance 
is  described  with  as  full  and  entire  comprehensions 
as  in  the  old  prophets  ;  for  faith  and  repentance 
are  the  whole  duty  of  the  gospel.  Faith,  when  it 
is  in  conjunction  w  ith  a  practical  grace,  signifies  an 
intellectual.  Faith  signifies  the  submission  of  the 
understanding  to  the  institution ;  and  repentance 
includes  all  that  whole  practice  which  is  the  entire 
duty  of  a  Christian,  after  he  hath  been  overtaken  in 
a  fault.  And  therefore  reixzntance  first  includes  a 
renunciation  and  abolition  of  all  evil,  and  then  also 
enjoins  a  pursuit  of  every  virtue  ;  and  that  till  they 
arrive  at  an  habitual  confin«ation.- 

34.  Of  the  first  sense  are  all  those  expressions  of 
Scripture  which  imply  repentance  to  be  the  dele- 
tery  of  sins.  'Repentance  from  dead  works,"  St. 
Paul  uflirms  to  be  tlie  prime  fundamental  of  reli- 
gion ;  that  is,  conversion  or  returning  from  dead 
works;  for,  unless  repentance  be  so  construed,  it  is 
not  good  sense.  And  this  is  therefore  highly  veri- 
fied, because  repentance  is  intended  to  set  us  into 
the  condition  of  our  first  undertaking,  and  articles 
covenanted  with  God.  And  therefore  it  is  'a  re- 
demption of  the  time ;'  that  is,  a  recovering  what 
we  lost,  and  making  it  up  by  our  doubled  industry. 
'Ilcmember  whence  thou  art  fallen,  repent;'^  that 
is,  return,  '  and  do  thy  first  works,'  said  the  Spirit 

'   Ezek.  xxxiii.  15. 

'  Vide  Clem.  Alex.  Stiom.  lib.  ii.  ubi  ad  eundem  sensum  definit 
pocnitentiam. 

•*  Mt-ch'oia  c'nru  twv  viicpu/v  tjjywr.    Heb,  vi.  1. 
*  Apocal.  ii.  5. 


158  or    RF.rENTANCF. 

to  the  angel  of  the  churcli  of  Ephesus;  or  else  '  I 
will  remove  thy  candlestick,  except  thou  repent.' 
It  is  a  restitution:  '  If  a  man  be  overtaken  in  a 
fault,  restore  such  a  one;'  that  is,  put  him  where 
he  was.  And  then,  that  repentance  also  implies  a 
doing  all  good,  is  certain  by  the  sermon  of  the 
Baptist:  'Bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance.'* 
'Do  thy  first  works,'  was  the  sermon  of  the  Spirit. 
'  Laying  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  that  easily 
encircles  us,  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that 
is  set  before  us;'  so  St.  Paul  taught.  And  St. 
Peter  gives  charge,  that  when  we  '  have  escaped 
the  corruptions  of  the  world  and  of  lust  ;'^  besides 
this,  we  give  all  diligence  to  acquire  the  rosary 
and  conjugation  of  Christian  virtues :  and  they 
are  proper  effects,  or  rather  constituent  parts,  of  a 
holy  repentance  :  '  for  godly  sorrow  worketli  re- 
pentance,' saith  St.  Paul,  '  not  to  be  repented  of:"* 
and  that  ye  may  know  what  is  signified  by  repent- 
ance, behold,  the  product  was  carefulness,  clearing 
themselves,  indignation,  fear,  vehement  desires, 
zeal,  and  revenge;  to  which,  if  we  add  the  epithet 
of  holy,  (for  these  were  the  results  of  a  godly  sor- 
row, and  the  members  of  a  repentance  not  to  be  re- 
pented of,)  we  are  taught  that  repentance,  besides 
the  purging  out  the  malice  of  iniquity,  is  also  a 
sanctification  of  the  whole  man,  a  turning  nature 
into  grace,  passions  into  reason,  and  the  flesh  into 
spirit. 

35.  To  this  purpose  I  reckon  those  jjlirases  of 
Scripture,  calling  it  a  '  renewing  of  our  minds;''  a 
'  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost;'''  a  '  cleansing  of 


'  Gal.  vi.  1.  «  Matth.  iii.  8.  ^  2  Pet.  i.  4,  5. 

♦  2  Cor.  vii.  10.  *  l{om.  xii.  2.  «  Tit.  iii.  6. 


OF    REPENTANCK.  159 

our  hands  and  purifying  our  hearts;*'  that  is,  a  be- 
comin<^  holy  in  our  affections,  and  righteous  in  our 
actions;  a  transformation  or  ulterchange;  *  a  cru- 
cifying the  flesh  witli  the  affections  and  lusts;'*  a 
'mortified  state  ;'^  a  *  purging  out  the  old  leaven, 
and  becoming  a  new  conspersion  ;'*  a  '  waking  out 
of  sleep,'  *  and  '  walking  honestly  as  in  the  day ;'®  a 
'  being  born  again,'  ^  and  *  being  born  from  above  ;' 
a  *  new  life.'  And  I  consider  that  these  prepara- 
tive actions  of  repentance,  such  as  are  sorrow,  and 
confession  of  sins,  and  fasting,  and  exterior  morti- 
fications and  severities,  are  but  forerunners  of  re- 
pentance, some  of  the  retinue,  and  tliey  are  of  the 
family ;  but  they  no  more  complete  the  duty  of  re- 
pentance than  the  harbingers  are  the  whole  court, 
or  than  the  fingers  are  all  the  body.  There  '  is 
more  joy  in  heaven,'  said  our  blessed  Saviour, 
'  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,  than  over  ninety- 
nine  just  persons  who  need  no  repentance.'  There 
is  no  man  but  needs  a  tear  and  a  sorrow  even  for  his 
daily  weaknesses,  and  possibly  they  are  the  instru- 
mental expiations  of  our  sudden,  and  frequent,  and 
lesser  surprises  of  imperfection  :  but  the  'just  per- 
sons need  no  repentance ;  that  is,  need  no  inversion  of 
state,  no  transformation  from  condition  to  condition, 
but  from  the  less  to  the  more  perfect  the  best  man 
hath.  And  therefore  those  are  vain  persons  who, 
when  they  owe  God  a  hundred,  will  write  four- 
score; or  a  thousand,  will  write  fifty.  It  was  the 
saving  of  an  excellent  person,  that  "Repentance  is 
the  beginning  of  philosophy,  a  flight  and  renunci- 

'  .lames,  iv.  8.      '  Gal.  v.  24.      '  Col.  iii.  5.       *  1  Cor.  v.  7- 
»  Kph.  V.  14;   Rom.  xiii.  H.  "  Rom.  xiii.  13. 

'  John,  iii.  3. 


IGO  OF    REPENTANCE. 

ation  of  evil  works  and  words,  and  the  first  prepar- 
ation and  entrance  into  a  life  which  is  never  to  be 
repented  of.  And  therefore  a  penitent  is  not  taken 
with  umbrages  and  appearances,  nor  quits  a  real 
good  for  an  imaginary,  nor  chooses  evil  for  fear  of 
enemies  and  adverse  accidents;  but  peremptorily 
conforms  his  sentence  to  the  divine  laws,  and  sub- 
mits his  whole  life  in  a  conformity  with  them."  ' 
He  that  said  those  excellent  words,  had  not  been 
taught  the  Christian  institution  ;  but  it  was  admira- 
ble reason  and  deep  philosophy,  and  most  conso- 
nant to  the  reasonablenesss  of  virtue,  and  the  pro- 
portions and  designs  of  repentance,  and  no  other 
than  the  doctrine  of  Christian  philosophy. 

30.  And  it  is  considerable,  since  in  Scripture 
there  is  a  repentance  mentioned  which  is  imperti- 
nent and  itiefli'ectual  as  to  the  obtaining  pardon,  a 
repentance  implied  which  is  to  be  repented  of,  and 
another  expressed  which  is  '  never  to  be  repented 
of,' and  this  is  described  to  be  new  state  of  life,  a 
whole  conversion  and  transformation  of  the  man; 
it  follows,  that  whatsoever  in  any  sense  can  be 
called  repentance,  and  yet  is  less  than  this  new  life, 
must  be  that  inefl'ective  repentance.  A  sorrow  is  a 
repentance,  and  all  the  acts  of  dolorous  expression 
are  but  the  same  sorrow  in  other  characters  ;  and 
they  are  good  when  they  are  parts  or  instruments 
of  the  true  repentance :  but  when  they  are  the 
whole  repentance,  that  repentance  is  no  better  than 


'  'H  ^£  fxeTcn'oia  ctvri)  (pi\o(ro(ptaQ  ajJX')  yivtTai,  k,  Ta>i' 
a\'o{]Tb)v  tjiydij/  Tt  Kf  \6yiov  (pvyi),  k/  ri/c  a^ifrnfitKliTti  ZoiiiC 
■I]  TTuioTi]  TrnnaaKiv)}.  Hierod.  in  Pythag. — "  This  repentance 
is  the  beginning  of  philosophy,  the  avoiding  of  evil  words 
and  works,  and  the  first  preparation  of  a  life  not  to  be  repented 
of." 


I)F  RKPENTANCE.  1(51 

lliat  of  Judas,  nor  more  prosperous  than  that  of 
Esau.  Every  sorrow  is  not  a  gotlly  sorrow  ;  and 
that  which  is,  is  but  instrumental  and  in  order  to 
repentance  :  *  Codly  sorrow  workelh  repentance, 
saith  St.  Paul ;  that  is,  it  does  its  share  towards  it, 
as  every  jjrace  does  towards  the  ))ardon,  as  every 
degree  of  ])ardon  does  toward  heaven.  By  '  godly 
sorrow*  it  is  probable  St.  Paul  means  the  same 
thiii;y  wiiich  the  school  hath  since  calleil  contrition; 
a  t,Mief  proceedings  Irom  a  holy  principle,  from  our 
love  of  God,  and  anger  that  we  have  offended  him : 
and  yet  this  is  a  great  way  off  from  tliat  repentance, 
without  tlie  performance  of  w  hich  we  shall  certainly 
perish.  But  no  contrition  alone  is  remissive  of  sins, 
but  as  it  co-operates  towards  the  integrity  of  our  duty. 
Ciimconversus  ingemucril,  in  the  prophet's  expression  ; 
wiien  a  man  *  mourns  and  turns  from  all  his  evil 
way,''  that  is  a  godly  sorrow,  and  that  is  repentance 
too.  But  the  tears  of  a  dolorous  person,  though 
running  over  with  great  effusions,  and  shed  in 
great  bitterness,  and  expressed  in  actions  of  puni- 
tive justice,  all  being  but  the  same  sense  in  louder 
langiuige,  being  nothing  but  the  expressions  of  sor- 
row, are  good  only  as  they  tend  further ;  and  it 
lliey  do,  they  may  by  degrees  bring  us  to  repent- 
ance, and  that  repentance  will  bring  us  to  heaven  : 
but  of  themselves  they  may  as  well  make  the  sea 
swell  beyond  its  margin,  or  water  and  refresh  the 
sun-burnt  earth,  as  move  God  to  mercy  and  pierce 
llie  heavens.  But  then  to  this  consideration  we  may 

'  AItrni'0);(T«rf  i?,  {TiTOfj/'nrf,  Acts,  iii.  19.  <i'i  y'p  t^ovreQ 
CiKiyi'  Tu    Xvirilir'-ai   tTTi   ru'ig  7rt7roi>;/(£i'()i<;,    iravoyrat    tT/c 

oo-yT/v,  Arist.  ii.    Rhetor. 'AyaOoi   dpiSuKoviQ  drcoici 

Horn.  O  ixirarDtov  «  ^<('iPr;>  rdu  tvuvTiitiV  rt'iv  tS  kuk^  irna^iy 
aip»j(Tfrai.     Ilierocl. 

vol..  II.  11 


1(52  OF    REPENTANCE. 

add,  tliat  a  sorrow  upon  a  deatli-bed,  after  a  vicious 
life,  is  such  as  cannot  easily  be  understood  to  be 
ordinarily  so  much  as  the  beginning  of  virtue,  or 
the  first  instance  towards  a  holy  life.  For  he  that 
till  then  retained  his  sins,  and  now,  when  he  is  cer- 
tain and  believes  he  shall  die,  or  is  fearful  lest 
he  should,  is  sorrowful  that  he  hath  sinned,  is  only 
sorrowful  because  he  is  like  to  perish :  and  such  a 
sorrow  may  perfectly  consist  with  as  great  an  affec- 
tion to  sin  as  ever  the  man  had  in  the  highest  ca- 
resses and  invitation  of  his  lust.  For  even  then,  in 
certain  circumstances,  he  would  have  refused  to  have 
acted  his  greatest  temptation.  The  boldest  and 
most  pungent  lust  would  refuse  to  be  satisfied  in 
the  market-place,  or  with  a  dagger  at  his  heart ;  and 
the  greatest  intemperance  would  refuse  a  pleasant 
meal,  if  he  believed  the  meat  to  be  mixed  with 
poison  :  and  yet  this  restraint  of  appetite  is  no 
abatement  of  the  affection,  any  more  than  the  vio- 
lent fears  which,  by  being  incumbent  upon  the 
death-bed  penitent,  make  him  grieve  for  the  evil 
consequents  more  than  to  hate  the  malice  and  irre- 
gularity. He  that  does  not  grieve  till  his  greatest 
fear  presses  him  hard,  and  damnation  treads  upon 
his  heels,  feels  indeed  the  effects  of  fear,  but  can 
have  no  present  benefit  of  his  sorrow ;  because  it 
had  no  natural  principle,  but  a  violent,  unnatural, 
and  intolerable  cause,  inconsistent  with  a  free,  pla- 
cid, and  moral  election.  But  this  I  speak  only  by 
way  of  caution  ;  for  God's  mercy  is  infinite,  and  can, 
if  he  please,  make  it  otherwise.  But  it  is  not  good 
to  venture,  unless  you  have  a  promise. 

37.  The  same  also  I  consider  concerning  the  pur- 
pose of  a  new  life;  which  that  any  man  shoiHd 
iudge   to  be  repentance,  that  duty  which  restoras 


OF    REPENTANCE.  16 

US,  is  more  unreasonable  than  to  think  sorrow  will 
do  it.     For  as  man  may  sorrow,  and  yet  never  be 
restored  ;  (and  he  may  sorrow  so  much  the  more, 
because  he  sliall  never  be  restored,  as  Esau  did,  as 
the  five  foolish  virgins  did,  and  as  many  more  do;) 
so  he  that  purposes  to  lead  a  new  life,  hath   con- 
vinced himself  that  the  duty  is  undone,  and  there- 
fore his  pardon  not  j^ranted,  nor  his  condition  re- 
stored.    As  a  letter  is  not  a  word,  nor  a  word  an 
action  ;  as  an  embryo  is  not  a  man,  nor  the  seed  the 
fruit;  so  is  a  purpose  of  obedience  but  the  element 
of  repentance,  the  first  imaj^inations  of  it  differing 
from  the  grace  itself,  as  a  disposition  from  a  habit, 
or  (because  itself  will   best  express  itself)  as  the 
purpose  does  from  the  act.     For  either  a  holy  life 
is  necessary,  or  it  is  not  necessary.  If  it  be  not,  why 
does  any  man  hope  to  '  escape  the  wrath  to  come,' 
by  resolving  to  do  an  unnecessary  thing  ?  or  if  he 
does  not  purpose  it,  when  he  pretends  he  does,  that 
is  a  mocking  of  God,  and  that  is  a  great  way  from 
being  an  instrument  of  his   restitution.     But  if  a 
holy  life  be  necessary,  as  it  is  certain  by  infinite  tes- 
timonies of  Scriptures,  it  is  the  unum  necessarium, 
the  one  great  necessary  ;  it  cannot  reasonably  be 
thought   that  any    thing   less  than   doing  it  shall 
serve  our  turns.     Tliat  which   is  only  in   purpose 
is  not  yet  done  ;  and  yet  it  is  necessary  it  should  be 
done,  because  it  is  necessary  we  should  purpose  it. 
And  in  this  we  are  sufficiently  concluded  by  that 
ingeminate  expression  used  by  St.  Paul :  'In  Jesus 
Christ  nothing  can  avail  but  a  new  creature;''  no- 
thing but '  faith  working  by  charity;'  nothing  but 
'  a  keeping  the  c  )nunantlments  of  God.      '  And  as 

»  Gal.  vl.  15,  and  v,  G.     1  Cor.  vii.  19. 


IGI  (»F    UF.Pr.NTANCE. 

many  as  walk  according  to  this  rule,  peace  be  on 
them,  and  mercy  ;  they  are  the  Israel  of  God.' ' 

38.  This  consideration  I  intended  to  oppose 
against  the  carnal  security  of  death-bed  penitents, 
who  have  (it  is  to  be  feared)  s])ent  a  vicious  life; 
who  have  therefore  mocked  tiiemselves,  because 
they  meant  to  mock  God  ;  they  would  reap  what 
tliey  sowed  not.  But  '  be  not  deceived,'  saith  the 
apostle;  '  he  that  soweth  to  the  flesh,  shall  of  the 
flesli  reap  corruption  :  but  he  that  soweth  to  the 
Spirit,  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting-.' • 
Only  this,  *  Jjet  us  not  be  weary  of  well-doing: 
for  in  due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint 
not.'^  JNIeaning  that  by  a  persevering  indus- 
try, and  a  long  work,  and  a  succession  of  religious 
times,  we  must  sow  to  the  Spirit :  a  work  of  such 
length,  that  the  greatest  danger  is  of  fainting  and 
inlercision  ;  but  he  that  sows  to  the  Spirit,  not 
being  weary  of  well-doing,  not  fainting  in  tiie  long 
process,  he,  and  he  only,  shall  reap  life  everlasting. 
But  a  purpose  is  none  of  all  this.  If  it  comes  to 
act,  and  be  productive  of  a  holy  life,  tlien  it  is 
useful ;  and  it  was  like  the  eve  of  a  holiday,  festival 
in  the  midst  of  its  abstinence  and  vigils — it  was  the 
beginnings  of  repentance  :  but  if  it  never  come  to 
act,  it  was  to  no  purpose,  a  mocking  of  God,  an 
act  of  direct  hypocrisy,  a  provocation  of  God  and  a 
deceiving  our  ownselves.  You  are  unhappy  you 
began  not  early,  or  that  your  earlier  days  return 
not  together  with  your  good  purposes. 

39.  And  neither  can  this  have  any  other  sen- 
tence, though  the  purpose  be  made  upon  our  death- 
bed.    For  God  hatli  made  no  covenant  with  us  on 

•  lial.  vi.  1().      '  Ibid,  verse  7,  »        '  Ibid,  verse  ;». 


OF    KEPENTANCE.  165 

oar  dcatli-lied  disliiict  from  tliat  lie  niiule  with  us 
in  our  life  iiiul  iieallli.  And  since  in  our  life  and 
present  abilities,  f^ood  purposes,  and  resolutions, 
and  vows  (for  they  are  but  the  same  thin^  in  dif- 
ferin<r  dc<^rees)  did  sio^nify  nothin";-  till  ihey  came 
to  act,  and  no  man  was  reconciled  to  God  by  ^ood 
intentions,  but  by  doinji^  the  will  of  God  ;  can  we 
imaijine  that  such  purposes  can  more  prevail  at 
the  end  of  a  wicked  life  than  at  the  beginning  ? 
that  less  piety  will  serve  our  turns  after  fifty  or 
sixty  years  ol'  impiety,  than  after  but  five  or  ten  ? 
that  a  wicked  and  sinful  life  should  by  less  pains 
be  expiated  than  an  unhappy  year  ?  For  it  is  not 
in  the  state  of  grace,  as  in  other  exterior  actions  of 
religion  or  charity,  where  God  will  accept  the  will 
for  the  deed,  when  the  external  act  is  incul- 
pably  out  of  our  powers,  and  may  also  be  supplied 
by  the  internal :  as  bendings  of  the  body,  by  the 
prostration  of  the  soul ;  alms,  by  charity  ;  preach- 
ing, by  praying  for  conversion.  These  things  are 
necessary,  because  they  are  precepts,  and  obliga- 
tory only  in  certain  circumstances,  wliich  may  fail, 
and  we  be  innocent  and  disobliged.  But  it  is 
otherwise  in  the  essential  parts  of  our  duty,  which 
(Jod  hath  made  the  immediate  and  next  condition 
of  our  salvation  ;  sucli  which  are  never  out  of  our 
power  but  by  our  own  fault.  Such  are  charity, 
forgiveness,  repentance,  and  faith  ;  such  to  which 
we  are  assisted  by  (iod,  such  which  are  always  put 
by  God  s  grace  into  our  power,  therefore  because 
God  indispensably  demands  them.  In  these  cases, 
as  there  is  no  revelation,  God  will  accept  the  will 
lor  the  deed,  the  purj)Ose  for  the  act,  so  it  is  unrea- 
•sonablc  to  expect  it;  because  God  did  once  put  it 
into  our  powers  :  and  if  we  put  it  out,  we  must  not 


166  OF    RErENTANCE. 

complain  of  want  of  fire  wliicli  ourselves  have 
quenched,  nor  comphxin  we  cannot  see  when  we 
have  put  our  own  lio^hts  out ;  and  hope  God  will 
accept  the  will  for  the  deed,  since  we  had  no  will 
to  it  when  God  put  it  into  our  powers.  These  are 
but  fig-leaves  to  cover  our  nakedness,  which  our 
sin  hath  introduced. 

•40.  For  either  the  reducing  such  vows  and  pur- 
poses to  act  is  the  dutj',  without  which  the  purpose 
is  ineffectual ;  or  else  that  practice  is  but  the  sign 
and  testimony  of  a  sincere  intention,  and  that  very 
sincere  intention  was  of  itself  accepted  by  God  in 
the  first  spring.  If  it  was  nothing  but  a  sign,  then 
the  covenant  which  God  made  with  man  in  Jesus 
Christ  was  faith  and  good  meaning,  not  faith  and 
repentance ;  and  a  man  is  justified  as  soon  as 
ever  he  pur|)oses  well,  before  any  endeavours  are 
commenced,  or  any  act  produced,  or  habit  ratified  ; 
and  the  duties  of  a  holy  life  are  but  shadows  and 
significations  of  a  grace,  no  part  of  the  covenant, 
not  so  much  as  smoke  is  of  fire,  but  a  mere  sign  of 
a  person  justified  as  soon  as  he  made  his  vov/. 
But  then  also  a  man  may  be  justified  five  hundred 
times  in  a  year,  as  often  as  he  makes  a  new 
vow  and  confident  resolution  ;  which  is  then  done 
most  heartily,  when  the  lust  is  newly  satisfied,  and 
tlie  pleasure  disappears  for  the  instant,  though  the 
purpose  disbands  upon  the  next  temptation.  Yea, 
but  unless  it  be  a  sincere  purpose,  it  will  do  no 
good  ;  and  although  we  cannot  discern  it,  nor  the 
man  himself,  yet  God  knows  the  heart ;  and  if  he 
sees  it  would  have  been  reduced  to  act,  then  he  ac- 
cepts it.  And  this  is  the  hopes  of  a  dying  man; 
but  faint  they  are  and  dying,  as  the  man  himself. 

41.  For  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  know  but  that 


OF    UEI'EN'IANCE.  167 

what  a  man  intends  (as  himself  thinks)  heartily,  is 
sincerely  meant ;  and  if  that  may  l)e  insincere,  and 
is  to  be  judu^ed  only  by  a  never-following  event,  (in 
case  the  man  tlies,)  it  cannot  become  to  any  man 
tlie  ground  of  hope  :  nay,  even  to  those  persons 
who  do  mean  sincerely,  it  is  still  an  instrument  of 
distrust  and  fears  infinite,  since  his  own  sincere 
meaninji^  hath  nothing  in  the  nature  of  the  thing, 
no  distinct  formality,  no  principle,  no  sign  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  insincere  vows  of  sorrowful, 
but  not  truly  penitent  persons.  2.  A  purpose 
acted  and  not  acted  differ  not  in  the  principle,  but 
in  the  effect,  which  is  extrinsical  and  accidental  to 
the  purpose,  and  each  might  be  without  the  other  : 
a  man  might  live  holily,  though  he  had  not 
made  that  vow,  and  when  he  hath  made  the 
vow,  he  may  fail  of  living  holily.  And  as  we 
should  think  it  hard  measure  to  have  a  damnation 
increased  upon  us  for  those  sins  Avhich  we  would 
have  committed  if  we  had  lived  ;  so  it  cannot  be 
reasonable  to  build  our  hopes  of  heaven  upon  an 
imaginary  piety,  which  we  never  did,  and,  if  we 
had  lived,  God  knows  whether  we  would  or  not. 
3.  God  takes  away  the  godly,  lest  malice  should 
corrupt  their  understandings  ;  and  '  for  the  elect's 
sake  those  days  are  shortened,  which  if  they  should 
continue,  no  flesh  should  escape.'  But  now  shall 
all  that  be  laid  upon  their  score  w  hich,  if  God  had 
not  so  prevented  by  their  death,  God  knows  they 
would  have  done?  And  God  deals  with  the 
wicked  in  a  proportionable  manner,  to  the  con- 
trary purpose;  he  shortens  their  days,  and  takes 
away  their  possibilities  and  opportunities,  when 
the  time  of  repentance  is  past,  because  he  will  not 
do  violence  to   their   wills ;   and  this    '  lest  they 


168  OI-    REt'LN'TANCE. 

should  return,  and  be  converted,  and  I  should  lieal 
them.' '  So  that  it  is  evident,  some  persons  are,  by- 
some  acts  of  God,  after  a  vicious  life  and  the  fre- 
quent rejection  of  the  divine  grace,  at  last  pre- 
vented from  mercy,  who,  without  such  courses,  and 
in  contrary  circumstances,  might  possibly  do  acts 
of  repentance,  and  return,  and  then  God  would 
heal  them.  4.  Let  their  purposes  and  vows  be 
never  so  sincere  in  the  principle,  yet  since  a  man 
who  is  in  the  state  of  grace,  may  again  fail  of  it, 
and  forget  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins,  (and 
every  dying  sinner  did  so,  if  ever  he  was  washed  in 
the  laver  of  regeneration  and  sanctified  in  his 
Spirit,)  then  much  more  may  such  a  sincere  pur- 
pose i'uil :  and  then  it  would  be  known  to  wliat  dis- 
tance of  time  or  state  from  his  purpose  God  will 
give  his  final  sentence.  Whether  will  he  quit  him, 
because  in  the  first  stage  he  will  correspond  with 
his  intention,  and  act  his  purposes,  or  condemn 
him,  because  in  his  second  stage  he  would  preva- 
ricate ?  And  when  a  man  does  fail,  it  is  not 
because  his  first  principle  was  not  good  ;  for  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  is  certainly  tlie  best  principle 
of  spiritual  actions,  may  be  extinguished  in  a 
man,  and  a  sincere  or  heaity  purpose  may  be  lost, 
or  it  may  again  be  recovered,  and  be  lost  again. 
So  that  it  is  as  unreasonable  as  it  is  unrevealed 
that  a  sincere  purpose  on  a  death-bed  shall  obtain 
pardon,  or  pass  for  a  new  state  of  life.  Few  men 
are  at  those  instants  and  in  such  pressures  hypo- 
critical and  vain  :  and  yet  to  perform  such  pur- 
])oses  is  a  new  work  and  a  new  labour;  it  comes  in 
upon  a  new  stock  differing  from    that  principle, 

'  Matt.  xiii.  15;  ex  Is.  vi.  9,  10;  Mark,  iv.  12;  Luke,  viiL 
10;  John,  xii.  10  ;  Acts,  xxviii.  27;  Rom.  xi.  J>. 


Ol     RLI'I.M  ANtE.  169 

aiul  win  mecl  willi  tenipliilions,  difficulties,  and 
iuipediiuenls ;  uiul  an  honest  heart  is  not  sure  to 
remain  so,  but  may  split  upon  a  rock  of  a  violent 
invitation.  A  j)romise  is  made  to  be  faithful  ex 
post  fac(o  by  the  event ;  but  it  was  sincere  or  in- 
sincere in  the  principle,  only  if  the  person  promis- 
ing did  or  did  not  respectively  at  that  time  mean 
what  he  said.  A  sincere  promise  many  times  is 
not  truly  j)erformed. 

42.  Concerning  all  the  other  acts  which  it  is  to 
be  supposed  a  dying  person  can  do,  I  have  only 
this  consideration:  If  they  can  make  up  a  new 
creature,  become  a  new  state,  be  in  any  sense  a 
holy  life,  a  keeping-  the  commandments  of  God,  a 
following  of  peace  and  holiness,  a  becoming  holy 
in  all  conversation  ;  if  they  can  arrive  to  the  lowest 
sense  of  that  excellent  condition  Christ  intended  to 
all  his  disciples,  when  he  made  keeping  the  com- 
mandments to  be  the  condition  of  entering  into  life, 
and  not  crying,  Lord,  Lord,  but  doing  the  will  of 
Cod  •■,  if  he  that  hath  served  the  lusts  of  the  flesh, 
and  taken  pay  under  all  God's  enemies  during  a 
long  ant!  malicious  lile,  can,  for  any  thing  a  dying 
person  can  do,  be  said  in  any  sense  to  have  lived 
liolily,  then  his  hopes  are  fairly  built.  If  not, 
they  rely  U|)on  a  sand,  and  the  storm  of  death  and 
the  divine  displeasure  will  beat  too  violently  upon 
them.  There  are  no  suppletories  of  the  evangelical 
covenant.  If  we  walk  according  to  the  rule,  then 
shall  peace  anil  righteousness  kiss  each  other :  if 
we  have  sinned  and  prevaricated  the  rule,  re- 
pentance must  bring  us  into  the  ways  of  righteous- 
ness, and  then  we  must  go  on  upon  the  old  stock : 
but  the  deeds  of  the  flesh  must  be  mortified,  and 
Christ  must  dwell  in  us,  and  the  Spirit  must  reign 
in     us,    and     virtue    niu-t    be    lKil)ilual,  and    the 


170  OF    REl'ENTANCE. 

habits  must  be  confirmed.  And  this  ns  we  do 
by  the  S[)iiit  of  Christ,  so  it  is  hallowed  and 
accepted  hy  the  grace  of  God,  and  we  put  into  a 
condition  of  favour,  and  redeemed  from  sin,  and 
reconciled  to  God.  But  this  will  not  be  put  off 
with  single  acts,  nor  divided  parts,  nor  newly  com- 
menced purposes,  nor  fruitless  sorrow.  It  is  a 
great  folly  to  venture  eternity  upon  dreams.  So 
that  now  let  me  represent  the  condition  of  a  dying 
person  after  a  vicious  life. 

43.  First,  He  that  considers  the  frailty  of  human 
bodies,  their  incidences  and  aptness  to  sickness, 
casualties,  death  sudden  or  expected,  the  condition 
of  several  diseases,  that  some  are  of  too  quick  a 
sense  and  are  intolerable,  some  are  dull,  stupid,  and 
lethargical;  then  adds  the  prodigious  judgments 
which  fall  upon  many  sinners  in  the  act  of  sin,  and 
are  marks  of  our  dangers  and  God's  essential  jus- 
tice and  severity ;  and  that  security  which  possesses 
such  persons  whose  lives  are  vicious,  and  that  ha- 
bitual carelessness  and  groundless  confidence,  or 
an  absolute  inconsideration,  which  is  generally  the 
condition  and  constitution  of  such  minds,  every  one 
whereof  is  likely  enough  to  confound  a  persevering 
sinner  in  miseries  eternal,  will  soon  apprehend  the 
tlanger  of  a  delayed  repentance  to  be  infinite  and 
unmeasural>le. 

44.  Secondly,  But  suppose  such  a  person,  hav- 
ing escaped  the  antecedent  circumstances  of  the 
danger,  is  set  fairly  upon  his  deatli-bed,  with  the 
just  apprehension  of  his  sins  al)Out  him  and  his 
addresses  to  repentance;  consider  then  t!ie  strength 
of  his  lusts,  that  the  sins  ho  is  to  mortify  are  inve- 
terate, habitual,  and  confirmed,  liaving  had  the 
growth  and  slalnlity  of  a  whole  life;  tiiat  the 
liberty    of   his   will    i^^    inij)aircd  ;     (ilie    Scripture 


OF    RKPKXTANCE.  171 

8ayin<^  of  such  persons,'  whose  eyes  tire  full  of  lust, 
and  that  cannot  cease  from  sin;  and  tlwit  his  ser- 
vants they  are  whom  they  obey;''  that  they  are 
slaves  to  sin,  and  so  not  .siii  juris,  not  at  their  own 
dispose;)  that  his  understandings  is  blinded,  his 
appetite  is  nuilinous,  and  of  a  long  time  used  to 
rebel  and  prevail;  that  ail  the  inferior  faculties  are 
in  disorder;  tliat  he  wants  the  helps  of  i^race  pro- 
portionable to  his  necessilies;  (for  the  longer  he 
liath  continued  in  sin,  the  weaker  the  grace  of  God 
is  in  him;  so  that  in  effect,  at  that  time,  the  more 
need  he  hath,  the  less  he  shall  receive,  it  being 
God's  rule  to  '  give  to  him  tiiat  hath,  and  from  him 
that  hath  not,  to  take  even  what  he  hath;')  then 
add  the  innumerable  parts  and  great  burdens  of 
re j)en lance,  that  it  is  not  a  sorrow,  nor  a  j)urpose, 
because  both  these  supj)ose  that  to  be  undone  which 
is  the  only  necessary  support  of  all  our  hopes  in 
Christ  when  it  is  done;  the  innumerable  difficult 
cases  of  conscience  that  may  occur,  particularly  in 
the  point  of  restitution;  (which,  among  many  other 
necessary  parts  of  repentance,  is  indis|)ensably  re- 
quired of  all  persons  that  are  able,  and  in  every 
degree  in  which  they  are  able;)  tlie  many  tempta- 
tions of  the  devil,  tlie  strength  of  passions,  the  im- 
potency  of  the  flesli,  the  illusions  of  the  spirits  of 
darkness,'  the  liemblings  of  tlie  heart,  the  incngi- 
tancy  of  tlie  mind,  the  implication  and  entanglings 
of  ten  thousand  thougiits,  and  the  impertinencies 

'  2  Pet.  ii.  14.  ^ 

'  ^F.-irnCc'tv  rif  tyyi'C  y  t*^  o'ii(r!^at  Tt\fVTi)<Tiiv,  iiaepxtrat 
arnji  ip6(oQ  i;,  f^^ovTKj  TTfni  oiv  *i'  rtp  Trpoff^fi'  ^!K  elrrytu 
Plato  Ae  Repub. — "  Wlion  a  man  believes  himself  near  death, 
he  begins  to  fear,  and  to  think  of  things  concerning  which  he 
bad  before  no  care." 


)|?!B  OF    REPENTANCE. 

of  a  disturbed  fancy,  and  llie  great  hinder.inces  of 
a  sick  body  and  a  sad  and  weary  spirit ;  all  these 
represent  a  death-bed  to  be  but  an  ill  station  for  a 
penitent.  If  the  person  be  suddenly  snatched  away, 
he  is  not  left  so  much  as  to  dispute:  if  he  be  per- 
mitted to  languish  in  his  sickness,  he  is  either 
stupid,  and  apprehends  nothing,  or  else  miserable, 
and  hath  leason  to  apprehend  too  much.  How- 
ever, all  these  difficulties  are  to  be  passed  and  over- 
come before  the  man  be  put  into  a  savable  con- 
dition. From  this  consideration  (though  perhaps 
it  may  infer  more,  yet)  we  cannot  but  conclude 
this  difficulty  to  be  as  great  as  the  former  danger; 
that  is,  vast  and  ponderous,  and  insupportable. 

45.  Thirdly,  Suppose  the  clinic  or  death-bed 
penitent  to  be  as  forward  in  these  employments, 
and  as  successful  in  the  mastering  many  of  the 
objections  as  reasonably  can  be  thought ;  yet  it  is 
considerable,  that  there  is  a  repentance  which  is  to 
be  repented  of,  and  that  is  a  repentance  which  is 
not  productive  of  fruits  of  amendment  of  life  ;  that 
there  is  a  period  set  down  by  God  in  his  judgment ; 
and  that  many,  who  have  been  profane  as  Esau 
was,  are  reduced  into  the  condition  of  Esau,  and 
there  is  no  place  left  for  their  repentance,  though 
they  seek  it  carefully  with  tears;  that  ihey  who 
have  long  refused  to  hear  God  calling  them  to  re- 
pentance, God  will  refuse  to  hear  them  calling  for 
grace  and  mercy  ;'  that  he  will  laugh  at  some  men 
when  their  calamity  comes;  that  the  five  foolii^h 
virgins  addressed  themselves  at  the   noise  of  the 

•  Mart.  1.  i.  ep.  xvi.  Vide  S.  Ambros.  lib.  ii.  de  Poenit. 
C.  i.  et  xi.  S.  Aug.  in  1.  Homil.  hom.  xli.  S.  Basil,  orat.  ir, 
8>  Bernard,  in  parvis  Serm.  ser.  xxxviii. 


OF    REPENTANCE. 


17& 


hridegrooni's  comings,  and  begfjed  oil,  and  went  out 
to  buy  oil,  and  yet  for  want  of  some  more  time  and 
an  early  dili^^ence,  came  too  late,  and  were  shut 
out  for  ever;  that  it  is  nowhere  revealed  that  such 
late  endeavours  and  imperfect  practices  shall  be 
accepted ;  that  God  hath  made  hut  one  covenant 
with  us  in  Jesus  Christ,  wl)ich  is  faith  and  repent- 
ance consisjned  in  baptism;  and  the  signification 
of  them  and  the  purpose  of  Christ  is,  '  that  we 
Bhouhl  henceforth  no  more  serve  sin,'  but  mortify 
and  kill  him  perpetually,  and  destroy  his  kingdom, 
and  extinguish,  as  mucii  as  in  us  lies,  his  very  title; 
that  we  should  '  live  holily,  justly,  and  soberly  in 
this  present  world,  in  all  holy  conversation  and 
godliness;'  and  that  either  we  must  be  continued 
in,  or  reduced  to  this  state  of  holy  living  and  ha- 
bitual sanctity,  or  we  have  no  title  to  the  j)romises; 
that  every  degree  of  recession  from  the  state  Christ 
first  put  us  in,  is  a  recession  from  our  hopes,  and 
an  insecuring  our  condition,  and  we  add  to  our 
confidence  only  as  our  obedience  is  restored.  All 
this  is  but  a  sad  story  to  a  dying  person,  who  sold 
himself  to  work  wickedness  in  an  habitual  iniquity, 
and  aversation  from  the  conditions  of  the  holy 
covenant  in  which  he  was  sanctified. 

40.  And  certainly  it  is  unreasonable  to  plant  all 
our  hopes  of  heaven  ui)on  a  doctrine  that  is  de- 
structive of  all  piety;  wiiich  supposes  us  in  such  a 
condition  that(iod  hath  been  offended  at  us  all  our 
life  long,  and  yet  that  we  can  never  return  our 
duties  to  him,  unless  he  will  unravel  the  purposes 
of  his  predestination,  or  call  back  time  again  and 
begin  a  new  computation  of  years  for  us;  and  if 
he  did,  it  would  be  still  as  uncertain.     For  what 


174  OF    REPKNTANCE. 

hope  is  there  to  that  man  who  hath  fulfilled  all  ini- 
quity, and  liath  not  fulfilled  righteousness?  Can 
a  man  live  to  the  devil,  and  die  to  God  ?  '  sow  to 
tiie  flesh  and  reap  to  the  Spirit?'  hope  God  will  in 
mercy  reward  him  who  hath  served  his  enemy  ? 
Sure  it  is,  the  doctrine  of  the  avail  of  a  death-bed 
repentance  cannot  easily  be  reconciled  with  God's 
purposes  and  intentions  to  have  us  live  a  good  life; 
for  it  would  reconcile  us  to  the  hopes  of  heaven 
for  a  few  thoughts,  or  words,  or  single  actions,  when 
our  life  is  done  :  it  takes  away  the  benefit  of  many 
graces,  and  the  use  of  more,  and  the  necessity  of  all. 
47.  For  let  it  be  seriously  weighed,  to  what  pur- 
pose is  the  variety  of  God's  grace  ?  what  use  is 
there  of  preventing,  restraining,  concomitant,  sub- 
sequent, and  persevering  grace,  unless  it  be  in 
order  to  a  religious  conversation  ?  And  by  defer- 
ring repentance  to  the  last  we  despoil  our  souls, 
and  rob  the  Holy  Ghost  of  the  glory  of  many  rays 
and  holy  influences  with  which  the  church  is 
watered  and  refreshed,  that  it  may  '  grow  from 
grace  to  grace,' till  it  be  consummate  in  glory.  It 
takes  away  the  very  being  of  chastity  and  temper- 
ance ;  no  such  virtues,  according  to  this  doctrine, 
need  to  be  named  among  Christians.  For  the 
dying  person  is  not  in  capacity  to  exercise  these : 
and  then  either  they  are  troublesome,  without  which 
we  may  do  well  enough ;  or  else  the  condition  of 
the  unchaste  and  intemperate  clinic  is  sad  and  de- 
plorable. For  how  can  he  eject  those  devils  of 
lusts  and  drunkenness  and  gluttony,  from  whom 
the  disease  hath  taken  all  powers  of  election  and 
variety  of  choice;  unless  it  be  possible  to  root  out 
long-contracted  habits  in  a  moment,  or  acquire  the 


OF    UEI'EMANCK.  173 

habits  of  cluistity,  sobriety  and  leiuperance,  those 
Belf-denyin^  and  lul)orious  "graces,  without  doing  u 
sinp^le  act  of  tlie  respective  virtues  in  order  to  ob- 
tainin<r  of  habits;  unless  it  be  so  that  (iod  will 
infuse  habits  into  us  more  immediately  than  lie 
creates  our  reasonable  souls,  in  an  instant,  and 
without  the  co-operation  of  the  suscipient,  without 
'  the  working- out  our  salvation  with  fear,' and  with- 
out *  giving  all  diligence,  and  running  widi  pa« 
tience,  and  resisting  unto  blood,  and  striving  to 
the  last,  and  enduring  unto  the  end  in  a  long  fight 
and  a  long  race  ?'  If  God  infuses  such  habits,  wliy 
have  we  laws  given,  and  are  commanded  to  work, 
and  to  do  our  duty  with  such  a  succession  and 
lasting  diligence,  as  if  the  habits  were  to  be  ac- 
quired, to  which  indeed  God  promises  and  minis- 
ters his  aids,  still  leaving  us  the  persons  obliged 
to  the  law  and  tlie  labour,  as  we  are  capable  oithe 
reward  ?  I  need  not  instance  any  more.  But  this 
doctrine  of  a  death-bed  repentance  is  inconsistent 
with  the  duties  of  mortification,  with  all  the  vin- 
dictive and  punitive  parts  of  repentance  in  exterior 
instances,  with  the  precepts  of  waiting  and  watch- 
fulness and  preparation,  and  standing  in  a  readi- 
ness against  '  tlie  coming  of  the  bridegroom,'  with 
'  the  patience  of  well-doing,' with  exemplary  living, 
with  tiie  imitation  of  the  life  of  Christ,  and  con- 
formities to  his  passion,  with  the  kingdom,  and 
d(tniinion,  and  growtii  of  grace.  And  lastly,  it 
goes  al)i)ut  to  defeat  one  of  God's  great  purposes: 
for  God,  tlierefore,  concealed  the  time  of  our  death, 
tiiat  we  miglit  always  stand  upon  our  guard;  the 
Holy  Jesus  told  us  so:  '  Watch,  for  ye  know  not 
what  hour  the  Lord  will  come:'  but  this  makes 
men  seem  more  crafty  in  their  late-begun  i)iety. 


176  OF    nCPENTANCE. 

than  God  was  provident  and   mysterious  in  con* 
cealing  the  time  of  our  dissolution. 

48.  And  now,  if  it  be  demanded  how  longtime 
must  our  repentance  and  holy  living  take  up  ? 
what  is  the  last  period  of  commencement  of  our 
piety,  after  which  it  will  be  unaccepted  or  efiectual  ? 
will  a  month,  or  a  year,  or  three  years,  or  seven 
suffice  ?  (for  since  every  man  fails  of  his  first  con- 
dition, and  makes  violent  recessions  from  the  state 
of  bis  redemption  and  his  baptismal  grace,)  how 
long  may  he  lie  in  that  state  of  recession  with  hopes 
of  salvation  ?  To  this  I  answer,  he  cannot  lie  in 
sin  a  moment  without  hazarding  his  eternity  :  every 
instant  is  a  danger,  and  all  the  parts  of  its  dura- 
tion do  increase  it;  and  there  is  no  answer  to  be 
given  antecedently,  and  by  way  of  rule,  but  all  the 
hopes  of  our  restitution  depend  upon  the  event. 
It  is  just  as  if  AVe  should  ask,  how  long  will  it  be 
before  an  infant  comes  to  the  perfect  use  of  reason, 
or  before  a  fool  will  become  wise,  or  an  ignorant 
person  become  excellently  learned  ?  The  answer 
to  such  questions  must  be  given  according  to  the 
capacity  of  the  man,  to  the  industry  of  his  person, 
to  his  opportunities  or  hinderances,  to  his  life  and 
health,  and  to  God's  blessing  upon  him.  Only 
this;  every  day  of  deferring  it  lessens  our  hopes, 
and  increases  the  difficulty  :  and  when  this  in- 
creasing, divisible  difficulty  comes  to  the  last  period 
of  impossibility,  God  only  knows,  because  he  mea- 
sures the  thoughts  of  man,  and  comprehends  his 
powers  in  a  span,  and  himself  only  can  tell  how  he 
will  correspond  in  those  assistances  without  which 
we  can  never  be  restored.  '  Agree  with  thy  adver- 
sary quickly,  while  thou  art  in  the  way:  quickly.' 
And   therefore  the  Scripture  sets  down  no  other 


OK    HriTN  lASl  K.  177 

time  tlian  lo-day;  '  while  it  is  yet  called  to-day." 
But  because  it  will  every  day  be  called  to-day,  we 
must  remember  that  our  duty  is  such  as  requires  a 
lime,  a  duration  ;  it  is  a  course,  a  race  that  is  set 
before  us,  a  duty  requiring  patience,  and  lonp^a- 
nimily,  and  perseverance,  and  fjreat  care  and  dili- 
gence, that  we  faint  not.  And  supposing  we  could 
gather  probability  by  circumstances,  when  the  last 
period  of  our  hopes  begins  ;  yet  he  that  stands  out 
as  long  as  he  can,  gives  probation  that  he  came  not 
in  of  good-will  or  choice,  that  he  loves  not  the  pre- 
sent service,  that  his  body  is  present,  but  his  lieart 
is  estranged  from  the  yoke  of  his  present  employ- 
ment; and  then  all  that  he  can  do  is  odious  to 
Cod,  being  a  sacrifice  without  a  heart,  an  offertory 
of  shells  and  husks,  while  the  devil  and  the  man's 
lusts  have  devoured  the  kernels. 

49.  So  that  this  question  is  not  to  be  asked  be- 
forehand ;  but  after  a  man  hath  done  much  of  the 
work,  and  in  some  sense  lived  holily,  then  he  may 
inquire,  into  his  condition,  whether,  if  he  perse- 
vere in  tbat,  he  may  hope  for  the  mercies  of  Jesus. 
But  he  that  inquires  beforehand,  as  commonly  he 
means  ill,  so  he  can  be  answered  by  none  but  God; 
because  the  satisfaction  of  such  a  vain  question 
depends  upon  future  contingencies,  and  accidents 
depending  upon  God's  secret  pleasure  and  predes- 
tination, fie  that  repents  but  to-day,  repents  late 
enough,  that  he  put  it  off  from  yesterday.  It  may 
be  that  some  may  begin  to-day,  and  find  mercy  ; 
and  to  another  person  it  may  be  too  late  :  but  no 
man  is  safe  or  wise  that  puts  it  off  till  to-morrow. 
And  that  it  may  appear  how  necessary  it  is  to  begin 
early,  and  that  the  work  is  of  difficulty  and  con- 
tinuance, and  liiut  time  still  increases  the  objections, 

VOL.  II.  12 


iT8  OF    HEI'ENTaNCE. 

it  is  certain  that  all  the  time  that  is  lost  must  bo 
redeemed  by  something  in  the  sequel  equivalent, 
or  fit  to  make  up  the  breach,  and  to  cure  the 
wounds  long-  since  made,  and  long  festering.  And 
this  must  be  done  by  doing  the  first  works,  by 
something  that  God  hath  declared  he  will  accept 
instead  of  them  :  the  intention  of  the  following  ac- 
tions and  the  frequent  repetition  must  make  up  the 
defect  in  the  extension  and  co-existence  with  a 
longer  time.  It  was  an  act  of  an  heroical  repent- 
ance and  great  detestation  of  the  crime,  which 
Thomas  Cantipratanus  relates  of  a  young  gentle- 
man condemned  to  die  for  robberies ;  who,  endea- 
vouring to  testify  his  repentance,  and  as  far  as  was 
then  permitted  him  to  expiate  the  crime,  begged  of 
the  judge  that  tormentors  might  be  appointed  him, 
that  he  might  be  long  a-dying,  and  be  cut  in 
small  pieces ;  that  tlie  severity  of  the  execution 
might  be  proportionable  to  the  immensity  of  his 
sorrow  and  greatness  of  the  iniquity.  Such  great 
acts  do  facilitate  our  pardon,  and  hasten  the  resti- 
tution, and  a  few  days  comprise  the  elapsed  duty 
of  many  months.  But  to  rely  upon  such  acts  is 
the  last  remedy,  and  like  unlikely  physic  to  a  de- 
spairing person  ;  if  it  does  well,  it  is  well ;  if  it 
happen  otherwise,  he  must  thank  himself,  it  is  but 
what  in  reason  he  could  expect.  The  Romans  sa- 
crificed a  dog  to  Mana  Geneta,  and  prayed,  Ne 
quis  domi  natorum  bonus  Jiat,  that  none  of  their  do- 
mestics might  be  good  ;'  that  is,  that  they  might 
not  die,  (sailh  Plutarch,)  because  dead  people  are 
called  good.  But  if  they  be  so  only  when  they 
die,  they  will  hardly  find  the  reward  of  eoodness 

wotilvfi,  e.  aTTOKTii't'vi'at.     Plutarch,  ibitl.  ex  Aristotele. 


OF    UhlT-NrAM-i:.  179 

In  ihu  it'ckoiiiiif^s  of  eternily,  ulien  t(^  kill  and  to 
make  gootl  is  all  one  :  (as  Aristotle  observed  it  to 
be  in  the  Sparian  covenant  with  the  Tegeatae,  and 
as  it  is  in  the  case  of  penitents  never  mending  their 
lives  till  their  lives  be  done  :)  that  goodness  is  fatal, 
and  the  prologue  of  an  eternal  death. 

50.  I  conclnde  tiiis  point  with  the  words  of  St. 
Paul :  Gotl  '  will  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  deeds:  to  them  who,  by  patient  continuance 
in  well-doing,  seek  for  glory  and  honour  and  im- 
mortality,' (to  them)  'eternal  life.  But  to  them 
that  are  conlenlious,  and  do  not  obey  the  truth, 
but  obey  unrighteousness,'  (to  them)  *  indignation 
and  wrati) :  tribulation  and  anguish  upon  every 
soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil.'' 

51.  Having  now  discoursed  of  repentance  upon 
distinct  principles,  I  shall  not  need  to  consider 
upon  those  particulars  which  are  usually  reckoned 
parts  or  instances  of  repentance  ;  such  as  are  con- 
trition, confession,  and  satisfaction.  Repentance  is 
the  fulfilling  all  righteousness,  and  includes  in  it 
whatsoever  is  matter  of  Christian  duty  and  ex- 
pressly commanded  ;  such  as  is  contrition  or  godly 
sorrow,  and  confession  to  God,  both  which  are  de- 
clared in  Scripture  to  be  in  order  to  pardon  and 
purgation  of  our  sins.  '  A  contrite  and  a  broken 
heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise  ;'  and,  '  If  we 
confess  our  sins,  God  is  just  and  righteous  to  for- 
give us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  iniquity.' 
To  which  add  concerning  satisfaction,  that  it  is  a 
judging  and  punishing  of  ourselves ;  that  it  also  is 
an  instrument  of  repentance,  and  a  fruit  of  godly 
sorrow,  and  of  good  advantage  for  obtaining  mercy 

'  Rom.  iL  6,  7,  8,  0. 


IbO  OV    liEIT-NlANCE. 

of  God:  for  inciignntion  and  revenge  are  reckoned 
by  St.  Paul  effects  of  a  godly  sorrow  ;  and  the  bless- 
ing which  encourages  its  practice  is  instanced  by 
the  same  saint :  '  When  we  are  judged,  we  are 
chastened  of  the  Lord  ;'  but  *  if  we  \A'ould  judge 
ourselves,  we  should  not  be  judged  :'  where  he 
expounds  judged  by  chastened  ;  if  we  were  severer 
to  ourselves,  God  would  be  gentle  and  remiss.  And 
there  are  only  these  two  cautions  to  be  annexed, 
and  then  the  direction  is  sufficient:  I.  That  when 
promise  of  pardon  is  annexed  to  any  of  these  or 
another  grace,  or  any  good  action,  it  is  not  to  be 
understood  as  if  alone  it  were  effectual  either  to  the 
abolition  or  pardon  of  sins,  but  the  promise  is  made 
to  it  as  to  a  member  of  the  whole  body  of  piety.  In 
the  coadunation  and  conjunction  of  parts  the  title 
is  firm,  but  not  at  all  in  distinction  and  separation  : 
for  it  is  certain,  if  we  fail  in  one,  we  are  guilty  of 
all ;  and  therefore  cannot  be  repaired  by  any  one 
grace,  or  one  action,  or  one  habit.  And  therefore 
'  charity  hides  a  multitude  of  sins,'  with  men  and 
with  God  too;  *  alms  deliver  from  death  ;  humility 
pierceth  the  clouds,'  and  will  not  depart  before  its 
answer  be  gracious;  and  'hope  purifieth,  and 
makes  not  ashamed  ;'  and  patience,  and  faith, 
and  piety  to  parents,  and  jirayer,  and  tl)e  eight  be- 
atitudes '  have  promises  of  this  life,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come'  respectively;'  and  yet  nothing 
will  obtain  these  promises  but  the  harmony  and 
uniting  of  these  graces  in  a  holy  and  habitual  con- 
federation. And  when  we  consider  the  promise  as 
singularly  relating  to  that  one  grace,  it  is  to  be  un- 
derstood  comparatively  ;  that  is,  such  pei"Sons  are 

'  James,  V.   20;   Tob.   iv.   10;  1   John,  iii.  3;    Rom.  v.  5  { 
1  Tim.  iv.  a 


i.r    Ml  I'KM  tMK.  181 

liappy  if  compared  willi  llioj-e  who  have  contrary 
dispositions  :  for  such  a  capacity  does  its  portion 
of  llie  work  towards  complete  felicity,  from  which 
the  contrary  ijnality  does  estrange  and  disentitle  us. 
2.  The  special  and  minute  actions  and  instances  of 
these  three  |)reparativesof  repentance  are  not  under 
any  command  in  the  particulars,  but  are  to  be  dis- 
posed of  by  Christian  prudence,  in  order  to  tl)Ose 
ends  to  which  they  are  most  aptly  instrumental 
and  designed.  Such  as  are  fasting  and  corporeal 
severilies  in  satisfaction,  or  the  punitive  parts  of  re- 
pentance :  they  are  either  vindictive  of  what  is  past, 
and  so  are  j)roper  acts  or  eftects  of  contrition  and 
godly  sorrow  ;  or  else  they  relate  to  the  present  and 
future  state,  and  are  intended  for  correction  or 
emendation,  and  so  are  of  good  use  as  they  are  me- 
dicinal, and  in  that  proportion  not  to  be  omitted. 
And  so  is  confession  to  a  spiritual  person  an  excel- 
lent instrumentof  discipline, a  bridle  of  intemperate 
passions,  an  opportunity  of  restitution.  '  Ye  which 
are  spiritual,  restore  such  a  person  overtaken  in  a 
fault,''  (saith  the  apostle).  It  is  the  application 
of  a  remedy,  the  consulting  with  the  guide,  and 
the  best  security  to  a  ■weak,  or  lapsed,  or  an  igno- 
rant person  ;  in  all  which  cases  he  is  unfit  to  judge 
liis  own  (piestions,  and  in  these  he'  is  also  commit- 
ted to  the  care  and  conduct  of  another.  But  these 
sjjecial  instances  of  rej)entance  are  capable  of  sup- 
pletories,  and  are  like  the  corporeal  works  of  mercy, 
necessary  only  in  time  and  place,  and  in  accidental 
obligations,  lie  that  relieves  the  poor,  or  visits 
the  sick,  choosing  it  ibr  the  instance  of  his  charity, 
though  he  do  not  redeem  captives,   is  charitable 

'  Gal.  vi.  ]. 


182  («r    RF.PENTANCE. 

and  liath  done  his  alms.  And  he  that  cures  his 
sin  by  any  instruments,  by  external,  or  interior  and 
spiritual  remedies,  is  penitent,  though  his  diet  be 
not  ascetic  and  afflictive,  or  liis  lodginj^  hard, 
or  his  sorrow  bursting  out  into  tears,  or  his  e\- 
juessions  passionate  and  dolorous.'  I  only  add 
this,  that  acts  of  public  repentance  must  be  by 
n>ing  the  instruments  of  the  church,  such  as  she 
hath  appointed  ;  of  private,  such  as  by  experience, 
or  by  reason,  or  by  the  counsel  we  can  get,  we  shall 
learn  to  be  most  effective  of  our  penitential  pur- 
poses. And  yet  it  is  a  great  argument  that  the  ex- 
terior expressions  of  corporeal  severities  are  of 
good  benefit,  because  in  all  ages  wise  men  and  se- 
vere penitents  have  chosen  them  for  their  instru- 
ments. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  God,  who  wert  pleased  in  mercy  to  look  upon  us 
when  we  were  in  our  blood,  to  reconcile  us  when  we  were  ene- 
mies, to  forgive  us  in  the  midst  of  our  provocations  of  thy  in- 
finite and  ettmal  3Iajesty,  finding  out  a  remedy  for  us  which 
mankind  could  never  ask,  even  making  an  atonement  for  us  by 
the  death  of  thy  !?on,  sanctifying  us  by  the  blood  of  tlie  everlast- 
ing covenant,  and  thy  all-hallowing  and  divine  t>pirit ;  let  thy 
graces  so  perpetually  assist  and  encourage  my  endeavours,  con- 
duct my  will,  and  fortify  my  intentions,  that  I  niay  persevere  in 
that  holy  condition  which  thou  hast  put  me  in  by  the  grace  of 
the  covenant,  and  the  mercies  of  the  Holy  Jesus.  O  let  me 
never  fall  into  those  sins,  and  retire  to  that  vain  conversation, 
from  which  the  eternal  and  merciful  Saviour  of  the  world  haih 
redeemed  me  :  but  let  me  grow  in  grace,  adding  virtue  to  virtue, 

'  Vide  Disc,  of  Mortification,  Part.  I ;  and  Disc,  of  Fasting. 
Part  II. 


ON    IHF.   I-IGUT  BLATiri  DES.  183 

reducing  injr  purposes  to  acts,  and  increasing  my  acts  till  they 
grow  into  habits,  and  my  habits  till  they  be  confimied,  and  still 
confirming  them  till  they  be  consummate  in  a  blessed  and  holy 
perseverance.  Let  thy  preventing  grate  dash  all  temptations  in 
their  approach ;  let  thy  concomitant  grace  enable  me  to  resist 
them  in  the  assault,  and  overcome  them  in  the  fight :  that  my 
hopes  be  never  discomposed,  nor  my  faith  weakened,  nor  my 
confidence  made  remiss,  nor  my  title  and  portion  in  the  covenant 
be  lessened.  Or  if  thou  permittest  me  at  any  time  to  fall, 
(which,  holy  Jesu,  avert  for  thy  mercy  and  compassion  sake,) 
yet  let  me  not  sleep  in  sin,  but  recall  me  instantly  by  the 
clamours  of  a  nice  and  tender  conscience,  and  the  quickening 
sermons  of  the  Spirit,  that  I  may  never  pass  from  sin  to  sin,  from 
one  degree  to  another  ;  lest  sin  should  get  the  dominion  over  me, 
lest  thou  be  angry  with  me,  and  reject  me  froni  the  covenant, 
and  I  perish.  Purify  me  from  all  unclcanness,  sanctify  my 
spirit,  that  I  maybe  holy  as  thou  art:  and  lei  me  never  provoke 
tliy  jealousy,  nnr  presume  upon  thy  goodness,  nor  distrust  thy 
mercies,  nor  defer  my  repentance,  nor  rely  upon  vain  con- 
fidence ;  but  let  me,  by  a  constant,  sedulous,  and  timely  endea- 
vour, nnake  my  calling  and  election  sure,  living  to  thee  and 
dying  to  tliee  ;  that  having  sowed  to  the  Spirit,  I  may,  from  thy 
mercies,  reap  in  the  Spirit  bliss,  and  eternal  sanctity,  and  ever- 
lasting life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  our  hope,  and  our 
mighty  and  ever-glorious  Redeemer.     Amen. 


Considerations  upon  Christ's  Sermon  on   the  Mount 
and  of  the  Tliijlit  Beatitudes. 

1.  The  holy  Jesus  l»ein<;  enteied  upon  his  prophe- 
tical office,  in  the  first  solemn  sermon  ^ave  testi- 
mony that  he  «as  not  only  an  interpreter  of"  laws 
then  in  bein}^,  but  also  a  lawjriver,  and  an  an^el  of 
the  new  and  everlasting  covenant:  which  because 
God  meant  to  establish  with  mankind  by  the  medi- 
ation of  his  Son,  by  his  .Son  also  he  now  bej^an  to 
publish  the  conditions  of  it.     AntI  that  the  pubJi- 


194  CONSIDFIMIIONS    ON    HIE 

cation  of  the  Cliristian  low  mi^ilit  retain  some  pro- 
portion at  lea5;t  and  analo^^^y  of  circumstance  witli 
the  promulgation  of  the  law  of  Moses,  Christ  went 
up  into  a  mountain,  and  from  thence  gave  the 
oracle.  And  here  he  taught  all  the  disciples  ;  for 
what  he  was  now  to  speak  was  to  become  a  law, 
a  part  of  the  condition  on  which  he  established 
the  covenant,  and  founded  our  hopes  of  heaven. 
Our  excellent  and  gracious  Lawgiver,  knowing  that 
tlie  great  argument  in  all  practical  disciplines  is  the 
proposal  of  the  end,  which  is  their  crown  and  their 
reward,  begins  his  sermon,  as  David  began  his 
most  divine  collection  of  hymns,  with  blessedness. 
And  having  enumerated  eight  duties,  which  are  the 
rule  of  the  spirits  of  Christians,  he  begins  every 
<luty  with  a  beatitude,  and  concludes  it  with  a  re- 
ward;  to  manifest  the  reasonableness,  and  to  invite 
and  determine  our  choice  to  such  graces  which  are 
circumscribed  with  felicities,  which  have  blessed- 
ness in  present  possession,  and  glory  in  the  conse- 
quence ;  which,  in  the  midst  of  the  most  passive 
and  afflictive  of  them,  tells  us  that  we  are  blessed  : 
which  is  indeed  a  felicity,  as  a  hope  is  good,  or  as 
a  rich  heir  is  ricii,  who,  in  the  midst  of  his  discij)line 
and  the  severity  of  tutors  and  governors,  knows  he 
is  designed  to,  and  certain  of  a  great  inheritance. 

2.  The  eight  beatitudes,  which  are  the  duty  of  a 
Christian,  and  the  rule  of  our  spirit,  and  the  special 
discipline  of  Christ,  seem  like  so  many  paradoxes 
and  impossibilities  reduced  to  reason  ;  and  are  indeed 
virtues  made  excellent  by  rewards,  by  the  sublimity 
of  grace,  and  the  mercies  of  God,  hallowing  and 
crowning  those  habits  which  are  despised  by  tlie 
world,  and  are  esteemed  the  conditions  of  lower 
and  less  considerable  people.     But  GotI   '  sees  not 


rjciii    ur  autudes.  I8o 

as  man  sees,'  and  his  rules  of  estimate  and  judu^- 
ment  are  not  borrowed  frujn  the  exterior  splt-ndour, 
which  is  apt  to  seduce  children,  and  cozen  fools, 
and  please  the  appetites  ofsense  and  abused  fancy; 
l)iit  tliey  are  such  as  he  makes  himself,  excellencies 
Avhich,  by  abstractions  and  sej)aratinns  from  things 
btluw,  land  us  upon  celestial  appetites.  And  they 
are  states  of  sufterinj^  rather  than  states  of  life:  for 
the  great  employment  of  a  Christian  being  to  bear 
the  cross,  Christ  laiti  the  pedestal  so  low,  that  the 
rewards  were  like  rich  mines  interred  in  the  deeps 
and  inaccessible  retirements,  and  did  choose  to 
build  our  felicities  upon  the  torrents  and  violences 
of  afiRiction  and  sorrow.  Without  these  graces  we 
cannot  get  heaven  ;  and  without  sorrow  and  sad 
accidents  we  cannot  exercise  these  graces.  Such 
are, 

3.  First,  *  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'  '  Poverty  of  spirit  is  in 
respect  of  secular  affluence  and  abundance,  or  in 
respect  of  great  opinion  and  high  thoughts;  either 
of  which  have  divers  acts  and  offices.  That  the 
first  is  one  of  the  meanings  of  this  text  is  certain, 
because  St.  Luke,  repeating  this  beatitude,  delivers 
it  plainly, '  Blessed  are  the  poor,"  and  to  it  he  op- 
})i)ses  riches.  And  oiir  blessed  Saviour  speaks  so 
suspiciously  of  riches  and  rich  men,  that  he  repre- 
sents the  condition  to  be  full  of  danger  anrl  tempta- 
tion :  and  St.  James  calls  it  full  of  sin,  describing 
rich  men  to  be  oppressors,  litigious,  proud,  sj))teful, 
and  contentious.^  "Which  sayings,  like  all  others  of 
that  nature,  are  to  be  understood  in  common  and 


*  Luke,  vi.  20,  '24.  '  Jnines,  ii.  C;  ¥.  1,  &a 


ins  Ct>.NSIDr.UAIU)NS    (»N'     IHE 

most  frequent  accidents;  not  leg^ularly,  but  very  im- 
probable to  be  otherwise.  For  if  we  consider  our 
vocation,  St.  Paul  informs  vis,  that  '  not  many 
niig^hty,  not  many  noble,  are  called  ;'  but 'God  hath 
chosen  the  poor  of  this  world,  rich  in  faith.'  And 
how  '  hard  it  is  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  heaven,' 
our  g-reut  Master  hath  taught  us,  by  saying,  '  it  is 
more  easy  for  a  camel  to  pass  through  a  needle's 
eye.' '  And  the  reason  is,  because  of  the  infinite 
temptation  which  riches  minister  to  our  spirits;  it 
being  such  an  opportunity  of  vices,  that  nothing 
remains  to  countermand  the  act  but  a  strong,  reso- 
lute, unaltered,  and  habitual  purpose,  and  pure 
love  of  virtue  :  riches  in  the  meantime  offering  to 
us  occasions  of  lust,  fuel  for  revenge,  instruments  of 
pride,  entertainment  of  our  desires,  engaging  them 
in  low,  worldly,  and  sottish  appetites ;  inviting  us 
to  show  our  power  in  oppression,  our  greatness  in 
vanities,  our  wealth  in  prodigal  expenses,  and  to 
answer  the  importunity  of  our  lusts,  not  by  a  denial, 
f)ut  by  a  correspondence  and  satisfaction,  till  they 

'  Xulli  fonunae  miniis  bene  quilm  optimee  crediUir.  Alii 
felicitate  ad  tuendam  felicitatem  est  opus.  Sen. — ''There 
vs  no  kind  of  fortune  so  dangerous  to  be  trusted  as  the  best  for- 
tune.    A  second  felicity  is  required  to  defend  felicity." 

'Q^tXfc,  uj  TVpXk  ttXhti,  fit)r^  tv  yij,  f-u)''  tt'  ^aXavTij,  filir' 
iv  ii7riipi[i  0a)'ij)'rtt,  aXXd  Tanrapoj'  n  vdni'  ic,-  'A\Epoi'r«r  hti 
ci  yao  Trdvrn  tv  c'u'OoojTroic  icaKU.  Tiniocr.  Lyr. — "  Thou 
oughtst,  blind  Pluto,  neither  in  the  land,  nor  in  the  sea,  nor  in 
any  part  of  the  universe  to  dwell,  but  in  Tartarus  and  Acheron, 
for  thou  art  the  author  of  all  ill  to  rnan." 

'()  ck  TrXurog  >//("<;,  KaOdvfp  larobf;  Kaicbg  rr0X«?, 
(/3Xs7roi'r(T(.'  77of)«X«Cwi')  rrdi'Tag  7rot£(.  Antiphanes. — 
"  lliches,  likea  bad  physician,  finds  us  in  possession  of  our  sight 
and  sends  us  away  blind." 

VaXiiicToijdywy  c'l^iioi'  -£,  ^u-aiprarojv  at'GpwTTwv,  dixit  IIo- 
merus  de  IMysis  et  Hippomol'!;is,  lib.  xiii.  II.  Justissiiuos  ej 
long;rvos  dixit  qui  vesccbantur  lacte  et  cibo  modesto. 


tlUHT    UF.ATITUDES.  197 

become  our  mistresses,  imperious,  arrogant,  tyran- 
nical, and  vain.  But  poverty  is  the  sister  of  a  good 
mind  ;  it  ministers  aid  to  wisdom,  industry  to  our 
spirit,  severity  to  our  tlioughts,  soberness  to  our 
counsels,  modesty  to  our  desires  ;  it  restrains  extra- 
vagancy and  dissolution  of  appetites;  the  next 
thing  above  our  present  condition,  which  is  com- 
monly the  object  of  our  wishes,  being  temperate 
and  little,  proportionable  enough  to  nature,  not 
wandering  beyond  the  limits  of  necessity  or  a  mo- 
derate conveniency,  or  at  farthest  but  to  a  free  re- 
freshment and  recreation.  And  the  cares  of  po- 
verty are  single  and  mean  ;  rather  a  fit  employment 
to  correct  our  levities,  than  a  business  lo  impede 
our  better  thoughts :  since  a  little  thing  supplies 
the  needs  of  nature,  and  the  earth  and  the  fountain, 
with  little  trouble,  minister  food  to  us,  and  God's 
common  providence  and  daily  dispensation  eases 
the  cares,  and  makes  them  portable.  But  the  cares 
and  business  of  rich  men  are  violences  to  our  whole 
man ;  they  are  loads  of  memory,  business  for  the 
understanding,  work  for  two  or  three  arts  and  sci- 
ences, employment  for  many  servants  to  assist  in, 
increase  the  appetite,  and  heighten  the  thirst;  and, 
by  making  their  dropsy  bigger,  and  their  capacities 
large,  they  destroy  all  those  opportunities  and  pos- 
sibilities of  charity  in  which  only  riclies  can  be 
useful. 

4.  But  it  is  not  a  mere  poverty  of  possession 
which  entitles  us  to  the  blessing,  but  a  poverty  of 
spirit;  that  is,  a  contentedness  in  every  state,  an 
aptness  to  renounce  all,  when  we  are  obliged  in 
duty;  a  refusing  to  continue  a  possession,  when  we 
for  it  must  quit  a  virtue  or  a  noble  action  ;  a  divorce 
of  our  affections  from  those  gilded  vanities;  a  gene- 


188  t'(>NS|Di:ii  A  TIONS    ON     lilt 

rous  contempt  of  the  world;  and  at  no  hand  heap- 
ing riches,  either  with  injustice  or  with  avarice, 
either  with  wrong  or  impotency  of  action  or  affec- 
tion. Not  like  Laberius,  described  by  the  poet, 
who  thought  nothing  so  criminal  as  poverty,  and 
every  spending  of  a  sesterce  was  the  loss  of  a  moral 
virtue,  and  every  gaining  of  a  talent  was  an  action 
glorious  and  heroical.  But  poverty  of  spirit  ac- 
counts riches  to  be  the  servants  of  God  first,  and 
then  of  ourselves;  being  sent  by  God,  and  to  re- 
turn when  he  ])leases,  and  all  the  while  they  are 
with  us,  to  do  his  business.  It  is  a  looking  upon 
riches  and  things  of  the  earth,  as  they  do  look  upon 
it  from  heaven,  to  whom  it  appears  little  and  un- 
profitable. And  because  the  residence  of  this 
blessed  poverty  is  in  the  mind,  and  follows  that  it 
be  here  understood,  that  all  that  exinanition  and 
renunciation,  abjection  and  humility  of  mind, 
which  depauperates  the  spirit,  making  it  less 
worldly  and  more  spiritual,  is  the  duty  here  en- 
joined. For  if  a  man  throws  away  his  gold,  as  did 
Crates  the  Theban,  or  the  proud  philoso})her  Dio- 
genes, and  yet  leaves  a  spirit,  high,  airy,  fantas- 
tical, and  vain,  pleasing  himself,  and  witli  compla- 
cency reflecting  upon  his  own  act;  his  poverty  is 
but  a  circumstance  of  pride,  and  the  opportunity 
of  an  imaginary  and  secular  greatness.  Ananias 
and  Sapphira  renounced  the  world  by  selling  their 
possessions;  but  because  they  were  not  '  poor  in 
spirit,'  but  still  retained  the  affections  to  the  world, 
therefore  they  '  kept  back  part  of  the  price,'  and  lost 
their  hopes.  The  church  of  Laodicea  was  pos- 
sessed with  a  spirit  of  pride,  and  flattered  them- 
selves in  imaginary  riches  :  they  were  not  poor  in 
spirit,  but  they  w  ere  poor  in  possession  and  condi- 


riiinr  utAxrruDES,  M© 

tion.  These  wanted  humility,  the  other  wanted  a. 
generous  contempt  of  worldly  things;  and  both 
were  destitute  of  this  grace. 

5.  Ti)e  acts  of  this  grace  are,  1,  to  cast  off  all 
inordinate  affection  to  riches.  2,  In  heart  and 
spirit,  that  is,  preparation  of  mind,  to  quit  the 
l»ossession  of  all  riches;  and  actually  so  to  do  when 
Ciod  requires  it:  that  is,  when  the  retaining  riches 
loses  a  virtue.  3,  To  be  well  pleased  with  the 
whole  economy  of  God,  his  providence  and  dis- 
pensation of  all  things,  being  contented  in  all 
estates.  4,  To  employ  that  wealth  God  hath 
given  us  in  actions  of  justice  and  religion. 
6,  To  be  thankful  to  God  in  all  temporal  losses. 
6,  Not  to  distrust  God,  or  to  be  solicitous  and 
fearful  of  want  in  the  future.  7,  To  put  off 
the  spirit  of  vanity,  pride,  and  fantastic  com- 
placency in  ourselves,  thinking  lowly  or  meanly 
of  whatsoever  we  are  to  do,  8,  To  prefer  others 
before  ourselves,  doing  honour  and  prelation  to 
them  ;  and  either  contentedly  receiving  affronts 
done  to  us,  or  modestly  undervaluing  ourselves. 
9,  Not  to  praise  ourselves  but  wiien  God's  glory 
and  the  edification  of  our  neighbour  is  con- 
cerned in  it ;  nor  willingly  to  hear  others  praise 
us.  1(1,  To  despoil  ourselves  of  all  interior  pro- 
priely,  denying  our  will  in  all  instances  of  subordi- 
nation to  our  superiors,  and  our  own  judgment  in 
matters  of  diflicuJty  and  questions;  permitting  our- 
selves and  our  affairs  to  the  advice  of  wiser  men, 
and  the  decision  of  those  who  are  trusted  with  the 
cure  of  souls.  11,  Emptying  ourselves  of  our- 
selves, and  throwing  ourselves  wholly  upon  God. 
relying  upon  his  providence,  trusting  his  pro- 
mises, craving  his  grace,  and  depending  upon  his 


190  CONSlDUKATIO.Ns    ON    THE 

strength   for  all  our  actions,  and  deliverances,  and 
duties. 

6.  The  rcH  ard  promised  is  the  kingdom  of  hea- 
ven. '  Fear  not,  little  flock,  it  is  your  Father's 
pleasure  to  give  you  a  kingdom.'  To  be  little  in 
our  own  eyes  is  to  be  great  in  God's:  the  poverty 
of  the  spirit  shall  be  rewarded  with  the  riches  of  the 
kingdoms,  of  both  kingdoms — that  of  heaven  is  ex- 
pressed. Poverty  is  the  highway  of  eternity.  But, 
therefore,  the  kingdom  of  grace  is  taken  in  the  way, 
the  way  to  our  country  ;  and  it  being  the  forerun- 
ner of  glory,  and  nothing  else  but  an  antedated 
eternity,  is  part  of  the  reward  as  well  as  of  our 
duty.  And,  therefore,  whatsoever  is  signified  by 
kingdom  in  the  appropriate  evangelical  sense,  is 
there  intended  as  a  recompence.  For  the  kingdom 
of  the  gospel  is  a  congregation  and  society  of  Christ's 
poor,  of  his  little  ones;  they  are  the  communion  of 
saints,  and  their  present  entertainment  is  knowledge 
of  the  truth,  remission  of  sins,  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  what  else  in  Scripture  is  signified  to  be 
a  part  or  grace  or  condition  of  the  kingdom.  For 
'  to  the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached  ;"  that  is,  to  the 
poor  the  kingdom  is  promised  and  ministered. 

7.  Secondly,  'Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,  for 
they  shall  be  comforted.'  This  duty  of  Christian 
mourning  is  commanded,  not  for  itself,  but  in  order 
to  many  good  ends.  1,  It  is  in  order  to  patience: 
tribulation  worketli  patience;'*  and,  therefore,  *  we 
glory  in  them,'  sailh  St.  Paul.  And  St.  .James  : 
*  My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when  ye  enter  into 
divers  temptations,  knowing  that  the  trial  of  your 
faith     (viz.    by    afflictions)     worketh    patience.'  * 

'  Matt  xi.  r>.         •  Rom.  v.  3.     Gaudet  patientia  duris. 
^  Jamesj  i.  2,  3. 


rifjnr  imatitldes.  191 

2,  It  is  in  order  to  repentance  :  '  (ioclly  sorrow 
worketli  repentance.'  3,  By  consequence  it  is 
in  order  to  pardon:  for  'a  contrite  heart  God 
will  not  reject.'  4,  And  after  all  this  it  leads 
to  joy.  And,  therefore,  St.  James  preached  a 
homily  of  sorrow  :  '  He  afflicted,  and  mourn,  and 
Mcep,' '  tJKit  is,  in  j)enitential  mourning;  for  he 
adds,  'Humble  yourselves  in  tlie  slight  of  tiie  Lord, 
and  lie  sliall  lift  you  u\).'*  The  acts  of  this  duty 
are  :  I ,  To  bewail  our  own  sins.  2,  To  lament  our  in- 
firmities, as  tliey  are  princi[)les  of  sin,  and  recessions 
from  our  first  state.  3,  To  weep  for  our  own  evils 
and  sad  accidents,  as  they  are  issues  of  the  divine 
anfjer.  4,  To  be  sad  for  tlie  miseries  and  calamities 
of  the  church,  or  of  any  member  of  it,  and  indeed, 
to  '  weep  with  every  one  that  weeps  ;'  that  is,  not  to 
rejoice  in  his  evil,  but  to  be  compassionate,  and 
pitiful,  and  apt  to  bear  another's  burthen.  5,  To 
avoid  all  loose  and  immoderate  laughter,  all  disso- 
lution of  spirit  and  manners,  uncomely  jestings, 
free  revellings,  carnivals,  and  balls,  which  are  the 
})erdition  of  precious  hours,  (allowed  us  for  repent- 
ance and  possibilities  of  heaven,)  which  are  tlie  in- 
struments of  infinite  vanity,  idle  taliiing,  imperti- 
nency,  and  lust,  and  very  much  below  the  severity 
and  retiredness  of  a  Christian  spirit.  Of  this  Christ 
became  to  us  the  great  example;  for  St.  IJasil  re- 
ports a  tradition  of  him,  that  he  never  laughed,  but 
wept  often.  And  if  wo  mourn  with  him,  we  shall 
also  rejoice  in  the  joys  of  eternity. 

8.  Thirdly,  '  Blessinl  are  the  meek ;  for  tliey 
shall  possess  the  earth  :*  that  is,  the  gentle  and 
softer  spirits,  persons  not  turbulent  or  unquiet,  not 

'  2  Lot.  vii.  10.  '  Janici,  iv.  9.  10 


192  CONSlUERAllOcsS    ON    THE 

clamorous  or  impatient,  not  over  bold  or  impudent^ 
not  querulous  or  discontented  ;  not  nice  or  curious; 
but  men  who  submit  to  God,  and  know  no  choice 
of  fortune,  or  employment,  or  success,  but  what 
God  chooses  for  them  ;  having  peace  at  home,  be- 
cause nothing  from  without  does  discompose  their 
spirit.  In  sum,  meekness  is  an  indifFerency  to  any 
exterior  accident,  a  being  reconciled  to  all  condi- 
tions and  instances  of  providence,  a  reducing  our- 
selves to  such  an  evenness  and  interior  satisfaction, 
that  there  is  the  same  conformity  of  spirit  and  for- 
tune by  complying  with  my  fortune,  as  if  my  for- 
tune did  comply  with  my  spirit.  And  therefore  in 
the  order  of  beatitudes,  meekness  is  set  between 
mourning  and  desire,  that  it  might  balance  and 
attemper  those  actions  by  indifferency,  which  by 
season  of  their  abode  are  apt  to  the  transportation 
of  passion.  The  reward  expressed  is  a  possession 
of  the  earth,  that  is,  a  possession  of  all  winch  is 
excellent  here  below,  to  consign  him  to  a  future 
glory,  as  Canaan  was  a  type  of  heaven. '  For 
meekness  is  the  best  cement  and  combining  of 
friendships,  it  is  a  great  endearment  of  us  to  our 
company.  It  is  an  ornament  to  have  a  meek  and 
quiet  spirit,  a  prevention  of  quarrels,  and  pacifier 
of  wrath  ;  it  purchaseth  peace,  and  is  itself  a  quiet- 
ness of  spirit.  It  is  the  greatest  affront  to  all  inju- 
ries  in  the  world  ;  for  it  returns  them  upon  the 
injurious,  and  makes  them  useless,  ineffective,  and 
innocent ;  and  is  an  antidote  againt  all  the  evil 
consequents  of  anger  and  adversity,  and  tramj)les 
upon  the  usurping  passions  of  the  irascible  faculty. 
9.  But  the   greatest    part   of  this    passage   and 

'  M»nsuetus  ctsqu us  secundum  A-Tistot.  est  tvrvx<iv  fiirpiot. 


i.Uiii  1    ui,.\rn  LDts.  193 

laijclscape  is  sky :  and  as  a  man  in  all  countries 
can  see  more  of  heaven  than  of  the  eailh  he  dwells 
on,  so  also  he  may  in  this  promise.  For  although 
tlie  Christian  hears  the  promise  of  the  inheritance 
of  tlie  earth,  yet  he  must  place  his  eye  and  fix  his 
heart  upon  heaven,  which  by  looking-  downward 
also  upon  this  promise,  as  in  a  vessel  of  limpid 
water,  he  may  see  by  reflection,  without  lookinf;^ 
upwards  by  a  direct  intuition.  It  is  heaven  that 
is  desij;ned  by  this  promise  as  well  as  by  any  of 
the  rest ;  though  this  grace  takes  in  also  the  re- 
freshments of  the  earth,  by  equivalence  and  a  sup- 
pletory  design.  But  here  we  have  no  abiding  city, 
and  therefore  no  inheritance ;  this  is  not  our 
country,  and  therefore  here  cannot  be  our  portion  ; 
unless  we  choose,  as  did  the  prodigal,  to  go  into  a 
strange  country,  and  spend  our  portion  with  riot- 
ous and  beastly  living,  and  forfeit  our  Father's 
blessing.  The  devil,  carrying  our  blessed  Saviour 
to  a  high  mountain,  showed  him  all  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world  :  but,  besides  that  they  were  offered 
upon  ill  conditions,  they  were  not  eligible  by  him 
upon  any  And  neither  are  they  to  be  chosen  by 
us  for  our  inheritance  and  portion  evangelical ; 
for  the  gospel  is  founded  upon  better  promises, 
and  therefore  the  hopes  of  a  Christian  ought  not 
to  determine  upon  any  thing  less  than  heaven. 
Indeed  our  blessed  Saviour  chose  to  describe 
this  beatitude  in  the  words  of  the  Psalmist,  so 
inviting  his  disciples  to  an  excellent  precept,  by 
the  insinuation  of  those  Scriptures  which  them- 
selves admitted.  Rut  as  the  eartli  which  was 
promised  to  the  meek  man  in  David's  psalm, 
was  no  other  earth  hut  the  terra  provtissionis,  the 
land  of  Canaan  ;  if  we  shall  remember  that  this 
vol.   n.  1> 


104  rONSIOF.RATIONS    ON     THE 

land  of  promise  was  but  a  transition  and  an  alle* 
jrorj^  to  a  greater  and  more  noble,  that  it  was  but  a 
type  of  heaven,  we  shall  not  see  cause  to  wonder 
why  the  holy  Jesus,  intending'  heaven  for  the 
reward  of  this  grace  also,  together  with  the  rest, 
did  call  it  'the  inheritance  of  the  earth.'  For  now 
is  revealed  to  us  *  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth ; 
an  habitation  made  without  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens.'  And  he  understands  nothing  of  tlie  ex- 
cellency of  Christian  religion,  whose  afftc'.ions 
<hvell  below,  and  are  satisfied  with  a  portion  of 
dirt  and  corruption.  '  If  we  be  risen  with  Christ, 
let  us  seek  those  things  that  are  above,  where 
Christ  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God.'  But  if  a 
Christian  desires  to  take  possession  of  this  earth  in 
his  way,  as  his  inheritance  or  portion,  he  hath  rea- 
son to  fear  it  will  be  his  all.  We  have  but  one 
inheritance,  one  country,  and  here  we  are  strangers 
and  pilgrims.  Abraham  told  Dives  that  he  had 
enjoyed  his  good  things  here ;  he  had  the  inhe- 
ritance of  the  earth,  in  the  crass  material  sense; 
and  therefore  he  had  no  other  portion  but  what  the 
devils  have.  And  when  we  remember  that  perse- 
cution is  the  lot  of  the  church,  and  that  poverty  is 
her  portion,  and  her  quanhnn  is  but  food  and  rai- 
ment at  the  best;  and  that  patience  is  her  support, 
and  hope  her  refreshment,  and  self-denial  her 
security,  and  meekness  is  all  her  possession  and 
title  to  a  subsistence,  it  will  appear  certain, 
that  as  '  Christ's  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,' 
so  neither  shall  his  saints  have  their  portion 
in  that  \^!iich  is  not  his  kingdom.  They  are 
miseral)le  if  they  do  not  reign  uitii  him,  and  he 
never  reigned  luTe  ;  but '  if  we  suffer  with  him,  we 
*hall  also    rei;in    \uth   him  licrtaftcr.'     True  it  ir, 


FlOin     nCATITl'DES.  196 

Christ  promised  to  him  that  should  lose  any  in- 
terest for  his  sake,  the  restitution  of  an  hundred- 
fold in  this  world.  But  as  the  sense  of  that  cannot 
be  literal — for  he  cannot  receive  a  hundred  mothers 
or  a  hundred  wives — so  whatsoever  tliat  be,  it  is  to 
be  enjoyed  witii  persecution.  And  then  such  a 
portion  of  the  earth  as  Christ  hath  expressed  in 
fii,'ure,  and  shall  by  way  of  recompense  restore  us, 
and  such  a  recompense  as  we  can  enjoy  with  per- 
secution, and  such  an  enjoyment  as  is  consistent 
with  our  havinjj  lost  all  our  temporals,  and  such 
an  acquist  and  purchase  of  it  as  is  not  destructive 
oftheg;ruce  of  meekness;  all  that  we  may  enter 
into  our  account  as  part  of  our  lot,  and  the  emana- 
tion from  the  holy  promise.  But  in  the  foot  of  this 
account  we  shall  not  find  any  great  affluence  of 
temporal  accruements.  However  it  be,  although, 
when  a  meek  man  hath  earthly  possessions,  by  his 
grace  he  is  taught  how  to  use  them  and  how  to 
part  with  them;  yet  if  he  hath  them  not  by  the  vir- 
tue here  commanded,  he  is  not  suffered  to  use  any 
thing  violent  towards  the  acquiring  thein,  not  so 
much  as  a  violent  passion  or  a  stormy  imagination: 
for  then  he  loses  his  meekness,  and  whatever  he 
gets  can  be  none  of  the  reward  of  this  grace.  He 
that  fights  for  temporals,  (unless  by  some  other 
appenchmt  duty  he  be  obliged,)  loses  his  title,  by 
striving  incompetently  for  the  reward  ;  he  cuts  off 
that  hand  by  which  alone  he  can  receive  it.  For 
unless  he  be  indeed  meek,  he  hath  no  right  to 
what  he  calls  '  the  inheritance  of  the  earth  :'  and 
he  that  is  not  content  to  want  the  inheritance  of 
tlie earth,  when  God  requires  him,  is  not  meek.  So 
that  if  this  beatitude  be  understood  in  a  temporal 
sense,  it  is  an  offer  of  a  reward  upon  a  condition 


{\)6  CUNSIDERAIIONS    ON    THE 

we  shall  be  without  it,  and  be  content  too.  For, 
in  every  sense  of  the  word,  meekness  implies  a  just 
satisfaction  of  the  Spirit,  and  acquiescence  in  every 
estate  or  contingency  whatsoever,  though  we  have 
no  possessions  but  of  a  good  conscience,  no  bread 
but  that  of  carefulness,  no  support  but  that  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  a  providence  ministering  to  our 
natural  necessities  by  an  extemporary  provision. 
And  certain  it  is,  the  meekest  of  Christ's  servants, 
the  apostles  and  the  primitive  Christians,  had  no 
other  verification  of  his  promise  but  this,  that, 
'  rejoicing  in  tribulation,'  and  '  knowing  how  to 
want  as  well  as  how  to  abound,  through  many  tri- 
bulations they  entered  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven:' 
for  that  is  the  country  in  which  they  are  co-heirs 
with  Jesus.  But  if  we  will  certainly  understand 
what  this  reward  is,  we  may  best  know  it  by  under- 
standing the  duty  ;  and  this  we  may  best  learn 
from  him  that  gave  it  in  commandment.  '  Learn 
of  me,  for  I  am  meek,'  said  the  holy  Jesus  :  and 
to  him  was  promised  that  '  the  uttermost  ends  of 
the  earth  should  be  his  inheritance;'  and  yet  he 
died  first,  and  went  to  heaven  before  it  was  verified 
to  him  in  any  sense,  but  only  of  content,  and  de- 
sire, and  joy  in  suft'ering,  and  in  all  variety  of  acci- 
dent. And  thus  also,  if  we  be  meek,  we  may  re- 
ceive the  inheritance  of  the  earth. 

10.  The  acts  of  this  grace  are,  I.  To  submit  to 
all  the  instances  of  divine  providence,  not  repining 
at  any  accident  which  God  hath  chosen  for  us,  and 
given  us  as  part  of  our  lot,  or  a  punishment  of  our 
deserving,  or  an  instrument  of  virtue  ;  not  envying 
the  gifts,  graces,  or  prosperities  of  our  neighboui-s. 
2.  To  pursue  the  interest  and  employment  of  our 
calling  in  which  we  are  placed,  not  despising  the 


EIGHT    BEATITUDES  197 

meanness  of  any  work,  lliough  never  so  dispropor- 
tionable  to  our  abilities.  3.  To  correct  all  malice, 
wrath,  evil-speaking,  and  inordination  of  anger, 
whether  in  respect  of  the  object  or  the  degree.  4. 
At  no  hand  to  entertain  any  thoughts  of  revenge 
or  retaliation  of  evil.  o.  To  be  affable  and  cour- 
teous in  our  deportment  towards  all  persons  of  our 
society  and  intercourse.  G.  Not  to  censure  or  re- 
proach tiie  weakness  of  our  neighbour,  but  support 
his  burden,  cover  and  cure  his  intirniities.  7.  To 
excuse  what  may  be  excused,  lessening  severity, 
and  being  gentle  in  reprehension.  8.  To  be  pa- 
tient in  afflictions,  and  thankful  under  the  cross. 
9.  To  endure  reproof,  with  shame  at  ourselves 
for  deserving  it,  and  thankfulness  to  the  cha- 
ritable physician  that  oft'ers  the  remedy.  10.  To 
be  modest  and  fairly-mannered  towards  our  supe- 
riors; obeying,  reverencing,  speaking  honourably 
of  and  doing  honour  to  aged  persons,  and  all 
whom  God  hath  set  over  us,  according  to  their 
several  capacities.  11.  To  be  ashamed  and  very 
apprehensive  of  the  unworthiness  of  a  crime ;  at 
no  hand  losing  our  fear  of  the  invisible  God,  and 
our  reverence  to  visible  societies,  or  single  persons. 
1*2.  To  be  humble  in  our  exterior  addresses  and 
behaviour  in  churches  and  all  holy  places.  13.  To 
be  temperate  in  government,  not  imperious,  unrea- 
sonable, insolent,  or  oppressive,  lest  we  provoke  to 
wrath  those  whose  interest  of  person  and  of  religion 
we  are  to  defend  or  promote.  14.  To  do  our  en- 
deavour to  expiate  any  injury  we  did,  by  confessing 
the  fact,  and  offering  satisfaction,  and  asking  for- 
giveness. 

1 1.  Fourthly,  '  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and 


s98  CONSIDERATIONS    ON    THE 

thirst  after  righteousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled. 
This  grace  is  the  greatest  indication  of  spiritual 
health,  when  our  appetite  is  right,  strong,  and  re- 
gular; when  we  are  desirous  of  spiritual  nourish- 
ment, when  we  long  for  manna,  and  *  follow  Christ 
for  loaves,'  not  of  a  low  and  terrestrial  gust,  but  of 
that  '  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven.'  Now 
there  are  two  sorts  of  holy  repast  which  are  the 
proper  objects  of  our  desires  : — the  bread  of  hea- 
ven, which  is  proportioned  to  our  hunger;  that  is, 
all  those  immediate  emanations  from  Christ's  par- 
don of  our  sins,  and  redemption  from  our  former 
conversation,  holy  laws  and  commandments.  To 
this  food  there  is  also  a  spiritual  beverage  to 
quench  our  thirst;  and  this  is  the  effects  of  tiie 
Holy  Spirit,  who  first  '  moved  upon  the  waters  of 
baptism,'  and  afterwards  became  to  us  '  the  breath 
of  life,'  giving  us  holy  inspirations  and  assistances, 
refreshing  our  wearinesses,  cooling  our  fevers,  and 
allaying  all  our  intemperate  passions;  making  us 
holy,  humble,  resigned,  and  pure,  according  to  the 
pattern  in  the  mount,  '  even  as  our  Father  is  pure. 
So  that  the  first  redemption  and  pardon  of  us  by 
Christ's  merits  is  the  bread  of  life,  for  which  we 
must  hunger;  and  the  refreshments  and  daily 
emanations  of  the  Spirit,  who  is  the  spring  of  com- 
forts and  purity,  is  that  drink  which  we  must  thirst 
after.  A  being  first  reconciled  to  God  by  Jesus, 
and  a  being  sanctified  and  preserved  in  purity  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  adequate  object  of  our  de- 
sires. Some  to  hunger  and  thirst  best  fancy  the 
analogy  and  proportion  of  the  two  sacraments,  the 
waters  of  baptism,  and  the  food  of  the  eucharist ; 
some  the  bread  of  the  patin,  and  the  wine  of  the 


ElCillT    ULAllTLUES.  199 

chalice.  Bill  it  is  certain  they  signify  one  desire 
expressed  by  the  most  impatient  and  necessary  of 
our  a|)petiles,  hungerinj^  and  thirsting'.  And  the 
objei't  is  whatsoever  is  the  principle  or  the  effect, 
tlie  beginning,  or  the  way,  or  the  end  of  righteous- 
ness;  that  is,  the  mercies  of  God,  the  pardon  of 
Jesus,  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  a  holy  life,  a  holy 
death,  and  a  blessed  eternity. 

12.  The  blessing  and  reward  of  this  grace  is  ful- 
ness or  satisfaction;  which  relates  immediately  to 
heaven,  because  nothing  here  below  can  satisfy  us. 
Tlie  grace  of  God  is  our  viaticum,  and  entertains 
us  by  the  way;  its  nature  is  to  increase,  not  to 
satisfy  the  a[)petites:  not  because  the  grace  is 
empty  and  unprofitable,  as  are  the  things  of  the 
world  ;  but  because  it  is  excellent,  but  yet  in  order 
to  a  greater  perfection,  it  invites  the  appetite  by  its 
present  goodness,  but  it  leaves  it  unsatisfied,  be- 
cause it  is  not  yet  arrived  at  glory:  and  yet  tiie 
present  imperfection,  in  respect  of  all  the  good  of 
this  world's  possession,  is  rest  and  satisfaction,  and 
is  imperfect  only  in  respect  of  its  own  future  com- 
plement and  perfection;  and  our  hunger  continues, 
and  our  needs  return,  because  all  we  have  is  but 
an  antepast.  But  the  glories  of  eternity  are  also 
the  |>roper  object  of  our  desires:  that  is  the  reward 
of  God  s  grace,  that  is  '  the  crown  of  rigiiteousness.' 
'  As  for  me,  I  will  behold  thy  face  in  righteousness  ; 
and  when  I  awake  up  after  thy  likeness,  I  shall  be 
satisfied  witli  it.''  The  acts  of  this  virtue  are  mul- 
tiplied according  to  its  object;  for  they  are  only, 
1,  to  desire;  and,  2,  pray  for;  and,  3,  labour  for  all 

-  Pgalm  xvii.  lo. 


5>00  coNsiuEm  iioNs  on   the 

that  which  is  righteousness  in  any  sense.  1.  For 
the  pardon  of  our  sins ;  2,  for  the  graces  and  sanc- 
tification  of  the  Spirit;  3,  for  the  advancement  of 
Christ's  kingdom  ;  4,  for  the  reception  of  the  holy 
sacrament,  and  all  the  instruments,  ordinances,  and 
ministries  of  grace  ;  5,  for  the  grace  of  persever- 
ance ;  6,  and  finally,  for  the  crown  of  righteous- 
ness. 

13.  Fifthly,  '  Blessed  are  the  merciful,  for  they 
shall  obtain  mercy.'  Mercy  is  the  greatest  mark 
and  token  of  the  holy,  elect,  and  predestinate  per- 
sons in  the  world.  '  Put  ye  on,  (my  beloved,)  as 
the  elect  of  God,  the  bowels  of  mercy,  holy  and  pre- 
cious.'' For  mercy  is  an  attribute,  in  the  mani- 
festation of  which  as  all  our  happiness  consists, 
so  God  takes  greatest  complacency,  and  delights  in 
it  above  all  his  other  works.  He  '  punishes  to  the 
third  and  fourth  generation,'  but  '  shows  mercy 
unto  thousands.^  Therefore  the  Jews  say  tliat 
Michael  flies  with  one  wing,  and  Gabriel  with  two; 
meaning,  that  the  pacifying  angel,  the  minister  of 
mercy,  flies  swift ;  but  the  exterminating  angel,  the 
messenger  of  wrath,  is  slow.  And  we  are  called  to 
our  approximation  to  God  by  the  practice  of  this 
grace  ;  for  we  are  made  '  partakers  of  the  divine 
nature,'  by  being  '  merciful  as  our  heavenly  Father 
is  merciful.'  This  mercy  consists  in  the  affections, 
and  in  the  effects  and  actions:  in  both  which  the 
excellency  of  this  Christian  precept  is  eminent, 
above  the  goodness  of  the  moral  precept  of  the  old 
philosophers,  and  the  piety  and  cliarity  of  the  Jews, 
by  virtue  of  the  Mosaic  law.      The  stoic  philoso- 

>  Col.  iii.  12. 


EIGHT    BEATITUDES.  201 

phers  affirm  it  to  be  the  duty  of  a  wise  man  to 
succour  and  help  the  necessities  of  indigent  and 
miserable  persons;  but  at  no  hand  to  pity  them,  or 
suffer  any  trouble  or  compassion  in  our  affections : 
for  they  intended  that  a  wise  person  should  be  dis- 
passionate, unmoved,  and  without  disturbance  in 
every  accident  and  object  and  concernment.  But 
the  blessed  Jesus,  who  came  to  reconcile  us  to  his 
Father,  and  purchase  us  an  entire  possession,  did 
intend  to  redeem  us  from  sin,  and  make  our  pas- 
sions obedient  and  apt  to  be  commanded;  even  and 
moderate  in  temporal  affairs,  but  high  and  active 
in  some  instances  of  spiritual  concernment ;  and 
in  all  instances,  that  the  affection  go  along  with 
the  grace  ;  that  we  must  be  as  merciful  in  our  com- 
passion, as  compassionate  in  our  exterior  expres- 
sions and  actions.  The  Jews,  by  the  prescript  of 
their  law,  were  to  be  merciful  to  all  their  nation 
and  confederates  in  religion  ;  and  this  their  mercy 
was  called  justice:  '  He  hath  dispersed  abroad  and 
given  to  the  poor:  his  righteousness  [or  justice]  re- 
maineth  for  ever.'  But  the  mercies  of  a  Christian 
are  to  extend  to  all :  '  Do  good  to  all  men,  espe- 
cially to  the  household  of  faith.' '  And  this  diffusion 
of  a  mercy,  not  only  to  brethren,  but  to  aliens  and 
enemies,  is  that  which  St.  Paul  calls  goodness,  sliil 
retaining  the  old  appellative  for  Judaical  mercy, 
[righteousness  :]  '  For  scarcely  for  a  righteous  man 
will  one  die;  yet  peradventure  for  a  good  man  some 
will  even  dare  to  die.'*  So  that  the  Christian  mercy 
must  be  a  mercy  of  the  whole  man;  the  heart  must 

'  Gal.  vi.  10. 

'  Itom.  V.  7>     Syrus  interpres  non  legit   {nrip  liKaiu,  sed 
iliKu,  injusto. 


202  CONSIDKKATIONS    ON    THE 

be  merciful,  and  the  hand  operating-  in  the  labour 
of  love:  and  it  must  be  extended  to  all  persons  of 
all  capacities,  according  as  their  necessity  requires, 
and  our  ability  permits,  and  our  endearments  and 
other  obligations  dispose  of  and  determine  the 
order. 

14.  The  acts  of  this  grace  are,  1.  To  pity  the 
miseries  of  all  persons,  and  all  calamities  spiritual 
or  temporal,  having  a  fellow-feeling  in  their  afflic- 
tions. 2.  To  be  afflicted  and  sad  in  the  public 
judgments  imminent  or  incumbent  upon  a  church, 
or  state,  or  family.  3.  To  pray  to  God  for  remedy 
for  all  afflicted  persons.  4.  To  do  all  acts  of  bodily 
assistance  to  all  miserable  and  distressed  people; 
to  relieve  the  poor,  to  redeem  captives,  to  forgive 
debts  to  disabled  persons,  to  pay  debts  for  them,  to 
lend  them  money,  to  feed  the  hungry  and  clothe 
the  naked,  to  rescue  persons  from  dangers,  to  de- 
fend and  relieve  the  oppressed,  to  comfort  widows 
and  fatherless  children,  to  help  them  to  right  that 
suffer  wrong;  and,  in  brief,  to  do  any  thing  of  re- 
lief, support,  succour,  and  comfort.  5.  To  do  all 
acts  of  spiritual  mercy  ;  to  counsel  the  doubtful,  to 
admonish  the  erring,  to  strengthen  the  weak,  to 
resolve  the  scrupulous,  to  teach  the  ignorant,  and 
do  any  thing  else  which  may  be  instrumental  to 
his  conversion,  perseverance,  restitution,  and  salva- 
tion, or  may  rescue  him  from  spiritual  dangers,  or 
supply  him  in  any  ghostly  necessity.  The  reward 
of  this  virtue  is  symbolical  to  the  virtue  itself: 
the  grace  and  glory  differing  in  nothing  but  de- 
grees, and  every  virtue  being  a  I'eward  to  itself. 
'  The  merciful  shall  receive  mercy:'  mercy  to  help 
them  in  time  of  need  ;  mercy  from  God,  who  will 


not  only  g^ive  them  the  great  mercies  of  pardon  and 
eternity,  but  also  dispose  the  hearts  of  others  to 
pity  and  supply  their  needs,  as  they  have  done  to 
others.  For  the  present,  there  is  nothing  more 
noble  than  to  be  beneficial  to  others,  and  to  '  lift 
up  the  poor  out  of  tlie  mire,"  and  rescue  them  from 
misery;  it  is  to  do  the  work  of  God:  and  for  the 
future,  nothing  is  a  greater  title  to  a  mercy  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  than  to  have  showed  mercy  to 
our  necessitous  brother;  it  being  expressed  to  be 
the  only  rule  and  instance  in  which  Christ  means 
to  judge  the  world,  in  their  mercy  and  charity  or 
their  unmercilulness  resjiectively  :  '  I  was  hungry, 
and  ye  fed  me,'  or,  '  ye  fed  me  not:'  and  so  we 
stand  or  fall  in  the  great  and  eternal  scrutiny. 
And  it  was  the  prayer  of  St.  Paul,  (Onesiphorus 
showed  kindness  to  the  great  aj)oslle,)  '  the  Lord 
show  him  a  mercy  in  that  day.'  For  a  cup  of 
charity,  though  but  full  of  cold  water,  shall  not 
lose  its  reward. 

16.  Sixthly,  '  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for 
they  shall  see  God.*  This  purity  of  heart  includes 
purity  of  hands.  '  Lord,  who  shall  dwell  in  thy 
tabernable  ?  even  he  that  is  of  clean  hands  and  a 
pure  heart ;'  that  is,  '  he  that  hath  not  given  his 
mind  unto  vanity,  nor  sworn  to  deceive  his  neigh- 
bour.'' It  signifies  justice  of  action  and  candour 
of  spirit,  innocence  of  manners,  and  sincerity  of 
purpose  :  it  is  one  of  those  great  circumstances  that 
consummates  charity  ;  for  '  the  end  of  the  com- 
mandment is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart,  and  of  a 
good  conscience,  and  faith  unfeigned.'*  '  A  pure 
heart ;'   that  is,  a  heart  free  from  all  carnal  atiec- 

•  Psalm  xxiv.  3,  4.  »  1  Tim.  1, 5. 


*^0i  CONSIDER  V  I  luNS    ON    THE 

lions,  not  only  in  the  matter  of  natural  impurit\', 
but  also  spiritual  and  immaterial ;  such  as  are  here- 
sies, (which  are  therefore  impurities,  because  they 
mingle  secular  interest  or  prejudice  with  persua- 
sions in  religion,)  seditions,  hurtful  and  impious 
stratagems,  and  all  those  which  St.  Paul  enumerates 
to  be  works  or  fruits  of  the  flesh.  A  '  good  con- 
science;' that  is,  a  Qopscience  either  innocent  or 
penitent,  a  state  of  grace,  either  a  not  having  pre- 
varicated, or  a  being  restored  to  our  baptismal  pu- 
rity. *  Faith  unfeigned  ;'  that  also  is  the  purity  of 
sincerity,  and  excludes  hypocrisy,  timorous  and 
half  persuasions,  neutrality  and  indifFerency  in 
matters  of  salvation.  And  all  these  do  integrate 
the  whole  duty  of  charity.  But  '  purity,'  as  it 
is  a  special  grace,  signifies  only  Ijonesty  and  up- 
rightness of  soul,  without  hypocrisy  to  God  and 
dissimulation  towards  men ;  and  tlien  a  free- 
dom from  all  carnal  desires,  so  as  not  to  be  go- 
verned or  led  by  them.  Chastity  is  the  purity  of 
the  body,  simplicity  is  the  purity  of  the  spirit,  both 
are  the  sanctification  of  the  whole  man,  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  the  spirit  of  purity  and  the  spirit  of 
truth. 

16.  The  acts  of  this  virtue  are,  I.  To  quit  all 
lustful  thoughts,  not  to  take  delight  in  them,  not  to 
retain  them  or  invite  them;  but  as  objects  of  dis- 
pleasure to  avert  them  from  us.  2.  To  resist  all 
lustful  desires,  and  extinguish  them  by  their  pro- 
per correctories  and  remedies.  3.  To  refuse  all  oc- 
casions, opportunities,  and  temptations  to  impurity; 
denying  to  please  a  wanton  eye,  or  to  use  a  lasci- 
vious gesture,  or  to  go  into  a  danger,  or  to  convei'se 
with  an  improper,   unsafe  object :  '  hating  the  gar- 


KKiiiT  ur  vrirtUK-j.  20) 

meiit  spotted  with  the  flesh,'  so  St.  Jude  calls  it; 
and  '  not  to  look  upon  a  maid,'  so  Job  ;  '  not  to  sit 
with  a  woman  that  is  a  singer,' so  the  son  of  Siracb. 
4.  To  be  of  a  liberal  soul,  not  minglinjj  with  affec- 
tions of  money  and  inclinations  of  covetousness;  not 
doinf''  any  act  of  violence,  rapine,  or  injustice.  5. 
To  be  ingenuous  in  our  thoughts,  purposes,  and 
professions,  speaking  nothing  contrary  to  our  inten- 
tions, but  being  really  wliat  we  seem.  ('.  To  give 
all  our  faculties  and  affections  to  God,  without  di- 
viding interests  between  God  and  his  enemies, 
without  entertaining  of  any  one  crime  in  society 
with  our  pretences  for  God.'  7.  Not  to  lie  in  sin, 
but  instantly  to  repent  of  it  and  return,  'purifying 
our  conscience  from  dead  works.'  8.  Not  to  dis- 
semble our  faith  or  belief,  when  we  are  required  to 
its  confession,  pretending  a  persuasion  complying 
with  those  from  whom  secretly  we  differ.  Lust, 
covetousness,  and  hypocrisy  are  the  three  great 
enemies  of  this  grace :  they  are  the  motes  of  our 
eyes,  and  the  spots  of  our  souls.  The  reward  of 
purity  is  the  vision  l)eatifical.  If  we  are  '  pure  as 
God  is  pure,  we  shall'  also  '  see  him  as  he  is  :  when 
we  awake  up  after  his  likeness,  we  shall  behold  his 
presence."  To  which  in  this  world  we  are  consigned 
by  freedom  from  the  cares  of  covetousness,  the 
shame  of  lust,  the  fear  of  discovery,  and  the  stings 
of  an  evil  conscience  ;  which  are  the  |X)rtion  of  the 
several  impurities  here  forbidden. 

17.  Seventhly,  'Blessed  are  the  peace-makers; 
for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God.'  'The 
wisdom  of  God  is  first  pure,and  then  peaceable;'* 
that  is  the  order  of  the  beatitudes.     As  soon  as 


'  Plato  vocat  puritatein  ('nrvKoiatp  ^(^f^f>vvwy  arrv  fUXnovuy, 
'  Jameii  iii.  ij- 


206  CONSIDERATIONS    ON    THK 

Jesus  was  born,  the  ansj;e]s  ^an^  a  liynin :  '  Glory 
be  to  God  on  liigli,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will 
towards  men  :'  sicfnifying"  the  two  great  errands 
upon  which  Christ  was  dispatched  in  his  legation 
from  heaven  to  earth.  He  is  '  the  Prince  of  Peace.' 
'  Follow  peace  with  all  men,  and  holiness,  without 
which  no  man  shall  ever  see  God.'  The  acts  of 
lliis  grace  are,  1.  To  mortify  our  anger,  peevishness, 
and  fiery  dispositions,  apt  to  enkindle  upon  every 
slight  accident,  inadvertency,  or  misfortune  of  a 
IViend  or  servant.  2.  Not  to  be  hasty,  rash,  provoca- 
tive,or  upbraiding  in  our  language.  3.  Tolive  quietly 
and  serenely  in  our  families  and  neighbourhoods. 
4.  Not  to  backbite,  slander,  misi*eport,  or  under- 
value any  man,  carrying  tales,  or  sowing  dissension 
between  brethren.  5.  Not  to  interest  ourselves  in 
the  quarrels  of  others,  by  abetting  either  part,  ex- 
cept where  charity  calls  us  to  rescue  the  oppressed  ; 
and  then  also  to  do  a  work  of  charity  without  mix- 
tures of  uncharitableness.  6.  To  avoid  all  suits  of  law 
as  much  as  is  possible,  without  entrenching  upon 
any  other  collateral  obligation  towards  a  third  in- 
terest, or  a  necessary  support  for  ourselves,  or 
great  conveniency  for  our  families ;  or  if  we  be  en- 
gaged in  law,  to  pursue  our  just  interests  with  just 
means  and  charitable  maintenance.  7.  To  endea- 
vour by  all  means  to  reconcile  disagreeing  persons. 
8.  To  endeavour  by  affability  and  fair  deportment, 
to  win  the  love  of  our  neighbours.  9.  To  offer  sa- 
tisfaction to  all  whom  we  have  wronged  or  slan- 
dered, and  to  remit  the  offences  of  others  ;  and  in 
trials  of  right  to  find  out  the  most  charitable  expe- 
dient to  determine  it,  as  by  indifferent  arbitration, 
or  something  like  it.  10.  To  be  open,  free,  and 
ingenuous  in  reprehensions  and  fair  expostulations 
with   persons  whom  wti  conceive  to  have  wronged 


F.IOHT    BEATITUDES.  207 

US,  liiat  no  seed  of  malice  or  rancour  may  be  latent 
in  us,  and  upon  the  breath  of  a  new  displeasure 
break  out  into  a  flame.  11.  To  be  modest  in  our 
arjjuinjifs,  disputings,  and  demands,  not  laying 
}i;reat  interest  upon  trifles.  12.  To  moderate,  ba- 
lance, and  temper  our  zeal  by  the  rules  of  pru- 
dence and  the  allay  of  charity,  that  we  quarrel  not 
for  opinions,  nor  entitle  God  in  our  impotent  and 
mistaken  fancies,  nor  lose  charity  for  a  pretence  of 
an  article  of  faith.  13.  To  pray  heartily  for  our 
enemies,  real  or  imaginary,  always  loving  and 
being  apt  to  benefit  tiieir  persons,  and  to  cure  theii 
faults  by  charitable  remedies  14.  To  abstain  from 
doing  all  affronts,  disgraces,  slighlings,  and  un- 
comely jeerings  and  mockings  of  our  neighbour,, 
not  giving    him   appellatives  of  scorn  or  irrision. 

16.  To  submit  to  all  our  superiors  in  all  things, 
either  doing  what  they  command,  or  suffering  what 
tiiey  impose  ;  at  no  band  lifting  our  heel  against 
those  upon  whom  tiie  characters  of  God  and  the 
marks  of  Jesus  are  imprinted  in  signal  and  eminent 
authority  :  such  as  are,  principally,  the  king  and 
then  the  bishops,  whom  (iod  hath  set  to  '  watch 
over  our  souls,'  !(!.  Not  to  invade  tlie  possessions 
of  our  neighbours,  or  commence  war,  but  when  we 
are  bound  by  justice  and  legal  trust  to  defend  tiie 
rights  of  others,  or  our  own,  in  order  to  our  duty. 

17.  Not  to  speak  evil  of  dignities,  or  undervalue 
their  persons,  or  publish  their  faults,  or  upbraid 
the  levities  of  our  governors;  knowing  that  they 
also  are  «lesigned  by  God,  to  be  converted  to  us 
lor  castigation  and  amendment  of  us.  18.  Not 
to  be  busy  in  other  men's  affairs ;  and  then 
'  the  peace  of  God  will  rest  upon  us.' '     The  reward 

'  Phil.  iv.  9;   1  Thes   v.  2:» ;  2  Then.  iii.  1«.;  Ileb.  xiii.20. 


208  CONSIDF.ftATIONS    ON    THE 

is  no  less  than  the  adoption  and  inheritance  of  sons; 
for  '  he  hath  given  unto  us  power  to  be  called  the 
sons  of  God:'  for  he  is  the  father  of  peace,  and 
the  sons  of  peace  are  the  sons  of  God,  and  there- 
fore have  a  title  to  the  inheritance  of  sons,  to  be 
heirs  with  God,  and  co-heirs  with  Christ''  in  the 
kingdom  of  peace,  and  essential  and  never-failing 
charity. 

18.  Eighthly,  'Blessed  are  they  which  are  per- 
secuted for  righteousness'  sake ;  for  theirs  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.'  This  being  the  hardest  com- 
mand in  the  whole  discipline  of  Jesus,  is  fortified 
with  a  double  blessedness;  for  it  follows  imme- 
diately, '  Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  revile 
you,  and  persecute  you  :'  meaning,  that  all  perse- 
cution for  a  cause  of  righteousness,  though  the 
affliction  be  instanced  only  in  reproachful  language, 
shall  be  a  title  to  the  blessedness.  Any  suffering 
for  any  good  or  harmless  action  is  a  degree  of 
martyrdom.  It  being  the  greatest  testimony  in 
the  world  of  the  greatest  love,  to  quit  that  for  God 
which  lialh  possessed  our  most  natural,  regular, 
and  orderly  affections.  It  is  a  preferring  God's 
cause  before  our  own  interest;  it  is  a  loving  of 
virtue  without  secular  ends.  It  is  the  noble,  the 
most  resigned,  ingenuous,  valiant  act  in  the  world, 
to  die  for  God,  whom  we  never  have  seen  ;  it  is  the 
crown  of  faith,  the  confidence  of  hope,  and  our 
greatest  charity.  The  primitive  churches,  living 
under  persecution,  commented  many  pretty  opinions 
concerning  the  state  and  special  dignity  of  martyrs, 
apportioning  to  them  one  of  the  three  coronets 
which  themselves  did  knit,  and  supposed  as  pen- 

>   Rom.  viiL  17. 


dants  to  tUe  {i;reat  crown  of  riijliteousness.  Tliey 
made  it  suppletory  of  baptism,  expiatory  of  sin,  sa- 
tisfactory of  })uhlic  penances  :  they  placed  tliem  in 
bliss  immediately,  declared  them  to  need  no  after- 
prayer,  sue!)  as  the  devotion  of  those  times  used  to 
pour  upon  tlie  {graves  of  the  faitliful.  With  g;reat  pru- 
dence they  did  endeavour  to  alleviate  this  burden, 
and  sweeten  the  bitter  chalice  ;  and  they  did  it  by 
8uch  doctrines  which  did  only  remonstrate  this 
great  truth,  that  since  no  love  was  j^reater  than  to 
lay  down  our  lives,  nothing-  could  be  so  sfieat  but 
God  would  indulge  to  them.  And  indeed,  whatso- 
ever they  said  in  this,  had  no  inconvenience;  nor 
would  it  now,  unless  men  should  think  mere  suf- 
fering- to  be  sufficient  to  excuse  a  wicked  life,  or 
that  they  be  invited  to  dishonour  an  excellent  pa- 
tience w  ith  the  mixture  of  an  impure  action.  There 
are  many  who  would  die  for  Christ  if  they  were 
put  to  it,  and  yet  will  not  quit  a  lust  for  him.  Those 
are  hardly  to  be  esteemed  Christ's  martyrs  :  unless 
they  be  dead  unto  sin,  their  dying  for  an  article  or 
a  good  action  will  not  pass  the  great  scrutiny. 
And  it  may  be  boldness  of  spirit,  or  suUenness,  or 
an  honourable  gallantry  of  mind,  or  something 
that  is  excellent  in  civil  and  political  estimate, 
moves  the  person,  and  endears  the  suffering  ;  but 
that  love  only  which  keeps  the  commandments 
will  teach  us  to  die  for  love,  and  from  love  to  pass 
to  blessedness  through  the  red  sea  of  blood.  And, 
in<leed,  it  is  more  easy  to  die  for  chastity  than  to 
live  with  it;  and  many  women  have  heen  found, 
who  suffered  death  under  the  violence  of  tyrants, 
for  defence  of  their  holy  vows  and  purity,  wlio, 
had  they  long  continued  amongst  pleasures,  court- 
ships, curiosities,  and  importunities  of  men,  might 
vol..  II.  l\ 


210  CONSIDERATIONS    ON    THE 

perchance  have  yielded  that  to  a  lover  which  they 
denied  to  an  executionei*.  St.  Cyprian  observes, 
that  our  l^lessed  Lord,  in  admitting  the  innocent 
babes  of  Bethlehem  first  to  die  lor  him,  did  to  all 
generations  of  Christendom  consij'i'n  this  lesson, 
tliat  only  persons  holy  and  innocent  were  fit  to  be 
Christ's  martyrs.  And  I  remember,  that  the  prince 
of  the  Latin  poets,  over  against  the  region  and 
seats  of  infants,  places  in  the  shades  below  persons 
that  suffered  death  wrongfully  ;  but  adds,  that  this 
their  death  was  not  enough  to  place  them  in  such 
blessed  mansions,  but  the  Judge  first  made  inquiry 
into  their  lives,  and  accordingly  designed  their 
station.  It  is  certain  that  such  dyings  or  great 
sufferings  are  heroical  actions,  and  of  power  to 
make  great  compensations,  and  redemptions  of 
time,  and  of  omissions  and  imperfections ;  but  if 
the  man  be  unholy,  so  also  are  his  sufferings  :  for 
heretics  have  died,  and  vicious  persons  have  suf- 
fered in  a  good  cause,  and  a  dog's  neck  may  be 
cut  off  in  sacrifice,  and  swine's  blood  may  fill  the 
trench  about  the  altar ;  but  God  only  accepts  the 
sacrifice  which  is  pure  and  sjiotless,  first  seasoned 
with  salt,  then  seasoned  with  fire.  The  true  martyr 
must  have  all  the  preceding  graces,  and  then  he 
shall  receive  all  the  beatitudes. 

19.  The  acts  of  this  duty  are,  I.  Boldly  to  con- 
fess the  faith,  nobly  to  exercise  public  virtues,  not 
to  be  ashamed  of  any  thing  that  is  honest;  and 
rather  to  quit  our  goods,  our  liberty,  our  health, 
and  life  itself,  than  to  deny  what  we  are  bound  to 
affirm,  or  to  omit  what  we  are  bound  to  do,  or  to 
pretend  contrary  to  our  present  persuasion.  2.  To 
rejoice  in  afflictions;  counting  it  honourable  to  be 
conformable  to  Christ,  and  to  wear  the  cognizance 


EIGHT   BEATITUDES.  211 

of  Chrisiiunity.  whose  certain  lot  it  is  to  suffer  the 
hostility  and  violence  of  enemies  visible  and  invi- 
sible. 3.  Not  to  revile  our  persecutois,  but  to 
bear  the  cross  with  evenness,  tranquillity,  patience, 
and  charity.  4.  To  offer  our  sufferings  to  the 
glory  of  God,  and  to  join  them  with  the  passions 
of  Christ,  by  doing  it  in  love  to  God,  and  obedience 
to  his  sanctions,  and  testimony  of  some  part  of  his 
reliijion,  and  designing  it  as  a  part  of  duty.  The 
reward  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  w  Inch  can  be  no 
other  but  eternal  salvation,  in  case  the  martyrdom 
be  consummate :  and  '  they  also  shall  be  made 
perfect ;' '  so  the  words  of  the  reward  w  ere  read  in 
Clement's  time.  If  it  be  less,  it  keeps  its  propor- 
tion :  all  suffering  persons  are  the  combination  of 
saints  ;  they  make  tiie  churcli,  ihey  are  the  people 
of  llie  kitigdom,  and  heirs  of  the  covenant:  for  if 
they  be  but  confessors,  and  confess  Christ  in  prison, 
though  tliey  never  preach  upon  the  rack  or  under 
the  axe,  yet  Christ  will  confess  them  before  his 
heavenly  Father;  and  they  shall  have  a  portion 
where  they  shall  never  be  persecuteil  any  more. 


THE  PRAYER. 

I. 

O  blessed  Jesus,  who  art  become  to  us  the  fountain  of  peace 
and  sanctity,  of  righteousness  and  charity,  of  life  and  perpetual 
benediction,  imprint  in  our  spirits  these  glorious  characterisms  of 
Christianity,  that  we  by  such  excellent  dispositions  may  be  con- 
signed to  the  infinity  of  blessedness  which  tliou  earnest  to  reveal, 

'  On  avroi  taovrai  Ti\tioi.  Sic  etiam  olim  legebalur  haec 
periodus ;   iJrc  'i^nai  tottov  '6n  i  ^lot^^iirrovrai. 


SUt.'  ON    THE    EIGHT    BEATITUDES. 

and  minister,  and  exhibit  to  mankind.  Give  us  great  humility  of 
spirit ;  and  deny  us  not,  when  we  beg  sorrow  of  thee,  the  mourn- 
ing and  sadness  of  true  penitents,  that  we  may  imitate  thy  excel- 
lencies, and  conform  to  thy  sufferings.  Make  us  meek,  patient, 
indifferent,  and  resigned  in  all  accidents,  changes,  and  issues  of 
divine  Providence.  Mortify  all  inordinate  anger  in  us ;  all 
wrath,  strife,  contention,  murmurings,  malice,  and  envy  ;  and  in- 
terrupt, and  then  blot  out  all  peevish  dispositions  and  moro- 
sities,  all  disturbances  and  unevenness  of  spirit  or  of  habit,  that 
may  hinder  us  in  our  duty.  Oh !  teach  me  so  to  hunger  and 
thirst  after  the  ways  of  righteousness,  that  it  may  be  meat  and 
drink  to  me  to  do  thy  Father's  will.  Raise  my  affections  to 
heaven  and  heavenly  things,  fix  my  heart  there,  and  prepare  a 
treasure  for  me,  which  1  may  receive  in  the  great  diffusions  and 
communications  of  thy  glory.  And  in  this  sad  interval  of  infir- 
mity and  temptations  strengthen  my  hopes,  and  fortify  my 
faith,  by  such  emissions  of  light  and  grace  from  thy  Spirit,  that 
I  may  relish  those  blessings  which  thou  preparest  for  thy  saints 
with  so  great  appetite,  that  I  may  despise  the  world  and  all  its 
gilded  vanities,  and  may  desire  nothing  but  the  crown  of  righte- 
ousness and  the  paths  that  lead  thither,  the  graces  of  thy  king- 
dom, and  the  glories  of  it ;  that  when  I  have  served  thee  in  holi- 
ness and  strict  obedience,  I  may  reign  with  thee  in  tlie  glories  ot 
eternity :  for  thou,  O  holy  Jesus,  art  our  hope,  and  our  life, 
and  glory,  our  exceeding  great  reward.     Amen. 


II. 

Merciful  Jesu,  who  art  infinitely  pleased  in  demonstrations 
of  thy  mercy,  and  didst  descend  into  a  state  of  misery,  suffer- 
ing persecution  and  affronts,  that  thou  mightest  give  us  thy 
mercy  and  reconcile  us  to  thy  Father,  and  make  us  partakers 
of  thy  purities,  give  unto  us  tender  bowels,  that  we  may  suf- 
fer  together  with  our  calamitous  and  necessitous  brethren  ;  that 
we,  having  a  fellow-feeling  of  their  miseries,  may  use  all  our 
powers  to  help  them,  and  ease  ourselves  of  our  common  suf- 
ferings. But  do  thou,  O  holy  Jesu,  take  from  us  also  all  our 
great  calamities,  the  carnality  of  our  affections,  our  sensualities 
and  impurities,  that  we  may  first  be  pure,  then  peaceable,  living 
in  peace  with  all  men,  and  preserving  the  peace  which  thou  hast 
made  for  us   with  our  God,  that  we  may  never  commit  a  sin 


or    TIIL    DEt'AI.O(;LE.  213 

which  may  interrupt  so  blessed  an  atonement.  1  .et  neithci  hope 
nor  fear,  tribulation  nor  anguish,  pleasure  nor  pain,  make  us  to 
relinquish  our  interest  in  thee,  and  our  portion  of  the  everlasting 
covenant.  But  give  us  hearts  constant,  bold,  and  valiant,  to  con- 
fess thee  before  all  the  world  in  the  midst  of  all  disadvantages 
and  contradictory  circumstances,  choosing  rather  to  beg,  or  to  be 
disgraced,  or  afflicted,  or  to  die,  than  quit  a  holy  conscience,  or 
renounce  an  article  of  Christianity  :  that  we,  either  in  act,  when 
thou  shalt  call  us,  or  always  in  preparation  of  mind,  suffering 
with  thee,  may  also  reign  with  thee  in  the  church  triumphant, 
O  holy  and  most  merciful  Saviour  Jesu.     Amen. 


DISCOURSE  X. 

»^  Discourse  upon  that  part  of  the  Decalogue  which 
the  Holy  Jesus  adopted  into  the  institution  and 
obligation  of  Christianity. 

I.  When  the  holy  Jesus  had  described  the  cha- 
racterisms  of  Christianity  in  these  eight  graces 
and  beatitudes,  he  adds  his  injunctions,  that  in 
these  virtues  they  should  be  eminent  and  exem- 
plary, that  tliey  might  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  : 
lor  he  intended  that  the  gospel  should  be  as  leaven 
in  u  lump  of  dough,  to  season  the  whole  mass; 
and  that  Ciiristians  should  be  the  instruments  of 
communicating  the  excellency  and  reputation  of 
this  holy  institution  to  all  the  world.  Therefore, 
Christ  calls  them  salt  and  light,  and  the  societies  of 
Christians  a  city  set  upon  a  hill,  and  a  light  set  in 
a  candlestick,  whose  otiice  and  energy  is  to  illumi- 
nate all  the  vicinage  ;  which  is  also  expressed  in 
these  preceptive  words :  '  liCl  your  light  so  shine 
before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works. 


214  OF    THE    DECALOGUE. 

and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven.'' 
Which  I  consider  not  only  as  a  circumstance  of 
other  parts,  but  as  a  precise  duty  itself,  and  one 
of  the  sanctions  of  Christianity,  which  hath  so 
confederated  the  souls  of  the  disciples  of  the  insti- 
tution, that  it  hath  in  some  proportion  obliged 
every  man  to  take  care  of  his  brother's  soul :  and 
since  reverence  to  God  and  charity  to  our  brother 
tire  the  two  greatest  ends  which  the  best  laws  can 
have,  this  precept  of  exemplary  living  is  enjoined  in 
order  to  them  both.  We  must  shine  as  lights  in 
the  world,  that  God  may  be  glorified,  and  our 
brother  edified  ;  that  the  excellency  of  the  act  may 
endear  the  reputation  of  the  religion,  and  invite 
men  to  confess  God,  according  to  the  sanctions  of 
so  holy  an  institution.  And  if  we  be  curious  that 
vanity  do  not  mingle  in  the  intention,  and  that  the 
intention  do  not  spoil  the  action,  and  that  we 
sufter  not  our  lights  to  shine  that  men  may  magnify 
us,  and  not  glorify  God ;  this  duty  is  soon  per- 
formed by  way  of  adherence  to  our  other  actions, 
and  hath  no  other  difficulty  in  it,  but  that  it  will  re- 
quire our  prudence  and  care  to  preserve  the  sim- 
plicity of  our  purposes  and  humility  of  our  spirit, 
in  the  midst  of  that  excellent  reputation,  which 
will  certainly  be  consequent  to  a  holy  and  exem- 
plary life. 

2.  But  since  the  holy  Jesus  hath  set  us  up  to  be 
lights  in  the  world,  he  took  care  we  should  not  be 
stars  of  the  least  magnitude,  but  eminent,  and  such 
as  might,  by  their  great  emissions  of  light,  give  evi- 

'  "OTTf p  i^iv  iv  awjiari  ^vxfj,  rSr'  tialv  Iv  KoafKpKpiTiavoL 
Just  Mar. — "As  the  soul  is  in  the  body,  so  are  Christians  in  the 
world."  Sic  S.  Paulus,  iv  oTc  thaivtaOi  wf  iptoTtjotg  (v  k6<t/im. 
Phil.  ii.  15. 


OF    THE     DECALOGUE.  21-3 

dence  of  their  beini^  immediately  derivative  from 
the  Sun  of  rij^litenusness.  Jle  was  now  giving  his 
law,  and  meant  to  retain  so  mucli  of  Moses,  as 
Moses  l)a(l  of  natural  and  essential  justice  and 
charity,  and  superadd  many  dejjrees  of  liis  own  ; 
that  as  far  as  Moses  was  exceeded  by  Christ  in  the 
capacity  of  a  lawgiver,  so  far  Christianity  might  he 
more  excellent  ancl  holy  than  the  Mosuical  sanc- 
tions. And  therefore,  !\s  a  preface  to  the  Christian 
law,  the  holy  .lesus  tieclares,  that  '  unless  our 
rigliteousness  exceed  the  rigiiteousness  of  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,'  tliat  is,  ol  the  stricter 
sects  of  the  Mosaical  institution,  '  we  shall  not 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'  Which  not 
onlv  rehit«'s  to  the  prevaricating  practices  of 
tiie  Pharisees,  l)iU  even  to  their  doctrines  and  com- 
mentaries upon  tlie  law  of  Moses  ;  as  apj>ears  evi- 
dently in  the  following  instances.  For  if  all  tlie 
excellency  of  Cijristianity  had  consisted  in  the 
mere  command  of  sincerity,  and  prohibition  of  hy- 
pocrisy, it  had  nothing  in  it  proportionable  to 
those  excellent  promises  and  clearest  revelations  of 
eternity  there  expressed,  nor  of  a  fit  employment  for 
the  designation  of  a  special  and  a  new  lawgiver, 
whose  laws  were  to  last  for  ever,  and  were  estab- 
lished u{)on  foundations  stronger  than  the  pillars 
of  heaven  and  earth. 

M.  But  St.  Paul,  calling  tlie  law  of  Moses  '  a  law 
of  works,''  did  well  insinuate  wlat  the  doctrine  of 
tlie  .lews  was  concerning  tlie  degrees  and  obliga- 
tions of  justice.  I'or  besides  that  it  was  a  law  of 
Morks  in  opjjositioii  to  the  law  of  faith,  (and  so  the 
(sense  of  it  is  formerly  explicated,*)  it  is  also  a  law 

<   Rom.  iii.  27- 

»  Vidf  Coiisiderat.  of  (  hrist's  nrst  preaching,  n.  3. 


216  OF    THE    DECALOGUE. 

of  works,  ill  opposition  to  the  law  of  the  spirit : 
and  it  is  understood  to  be  such  a  Imv  which  re- 
quired the  exterior  obedience  ;  such  u  Jaw  accord- 
ing to  which  St.  Paul  so  lived,  that  no  man  could 
reprove  him  ;  that  is,  the  judges  could  not  tax  him 
with  prevarication  ;  such  a  law  which,  being  in 
very  many  degrees  carnal  and  material,  did  net 
with  much  severity  exact  the  intention  and  pur- 
poses spiritual.  Bat  the  gospel  is  *  the  law  of  the 
spirit.'  If  they  failed  in  tl:e  exterior  work,  it  was 
accounted  to  them  for  sin  ;  but  to  Christians 
nothing  becomes  a  sin,  but  a  failing  and  prevari- 
cating spirit.  For  the  outward  act  is  such  an  ema- 
nation of  the  interior,  that  it  enters  into  the  ac- 
count for  the  relation  sake,  and  for  its  parent. 
When  God  hath  put  a  duty  into  our  hands,  if  our 
spirits  be  right,  the  work  will  certainly  follow  : 
but  the  following  work  receives  its  acceptation,  not 
from  the  value  the  Christian  law  hath  precisely 
put  upon  it,  but  because  the  spirit  from  whence  it 
came  hath  observed  its  rule.  The  law  of  charity 
is  acted  and  expressed  in  works,  but  hath  its  esti- 
mate from  the  spirit.  Which  discourse  is  to  be 
understood  m  a  limited  and  rjualified  signification 
For  tiien  also  God  required  the  heart,  and  inter 
dieted  the  very  concupiscences  of  our  irregular 
passions,  at  least  in  some  instances-:  but  because 
mucli  of  their  law  consisted  in  the  exterior,  and 
the  law  appointed  not,  nor  yet  intimated  any  pe- 
nalty to  evil  thoughts,  and  because  the  expiation 
of  such  interior  irregularities  was  easy,  implicit, 
and  involved  in  their  daily  sacrifices  without  spe- 
cial trouble,  therefore  the  old  law  was  '  a  law  of 
works;'  that  is,  especially  and  in  its  first  intention. 
But  this  V^ing  less  perfect,  the  holy  Jesus  inverted 


OF    THE    DECALOGUE.  217 

tlie  Older.  1.  For  very  little  of  Christianity  stands 
upon  the  outward  action  :  (Christ  having  appointed 
but  two  sacraments  immediately  :)  and,  2,  a  greater 
restraint  is  laid  upon  the  passions,  desires,  and  first 
motions  of  the  spirit,  than  under  the  severity  of 
Moses:  and,  3,  they  are  threatened  with  the  same 
curses  of  a  sad  eternity,  with  the  acts  proceeding 
from  them  :  and,  4,  because  the  obedience  of  the 
spirit  does  in  many  things  excuse  the  want  of  the 
outward  act,  God  always  requiring  at  our  hands 
what  he  hath  put  in  our  power,  and  no  more  :  and, 
5,  lastly,  because  the  spirit  is  the  principle  of  all 
actions  moral  and  spiritual,  and  certainly  produc- 
tive of  them  when  they  are  not  impeded  from 
without;  therefore  the  holy  Jesus  hath  secured  the 
fountain,  as  knowing  that  the  current  must  needs 
be  healthful  and  pure,  if  it  proceeds  through  pure 
channels,  from  a  limpid  and  unpolluted  principle. 
4.  And  certainly  it  is  much  for  the  glory  of  God, 
to  worship  him  with  a  religion  whose  very  design 
looks  upon  God  as  '  the  searcher  of  our  hearts,* 
and  lord  of  our  spirits  ;  who  judges  the  purposes  as 
a  God,  and  does  not  only  take  his  estimate  from 
the  outward  action,  as  a  man.  And  it  is  also  a 
great  reputation  to  the  institution  itself,  that  it  pu- 
rifies the  soul,  and  secures  the  secret  cogitations  of 
the  mind.  It  punishes  covetousness  as  it  judges 
rapine  ;  it  condemns  a  sacrilegious  neait  as  soon  i(*> 
fin  irreligious  hand ;  it  detests  hating  of  our  bro- 
ther by  the  same  aversion  wliich  it  expresses 
against  doing  him  aft'ronts.  He  that  curses  in  his 
heart  shall  die  the  death  of  an  explicit  and  bold 
blasphemer:  murmur  and  repining  is  against  the 
laws  of  Christianity.  But  either  by  the  remiosness 
of  Moses's  law,  or  the  gentler  (.xpcntion  of  it.  or  the 


2t8  OF    IHE    DKCALOOUE. 

innovating  or  lessening  glosses  of  the  Pharisees,  he 
was  esteemed  innocent  whose  actions  were  ac- 
cording to  the  letter,  not  whose  spirit  was  con- 
formed to  the  intention  and  more  secret  sanctity  of 
the  law.  So  that  our  righteousness  must  therefore 
exceed  the  Pharisaical  standard,  because  our  spirits 
must  be  pure  as  our  hands,  and  the  heart  as  regular 
as  the  action  ;  our  purposes  must  be  sanctified,  and 
our  thoughts  holy  :  we  must  love  our  neighbour,  as 
well  as  relievehim,  and  choose  justice  with  adhesion 
of  the  mind,  as  well  as  carry  her  upon  the  palms  of 
our  hands.  And  therefore  the  prophets,  foretelling 
the  kingdom  of  the  gospel  and  the  state  of  this  reli- 
gion, call  it  '  a  writing  the  laws  of  God  in  our 
hearts.'  And  St.  Paul  distinguishes  the  gospel 
from  the  law  by  this  only  measure  :  '  We  are  all 
Israelites,  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  heirs  of  the 
same  inheritance ;  only  now  we  are  not  to  be  ac- 
counted .lews  for  the  outward  conformity  to  the 
law,  but  for  the  inward  consent  and  obedience  to 
those  purities  which  were  secretly  signified  by  the 
types  of  Moses.'  They  of  the  law  were  Jews  out- 
wardly ;  their  '  circumcision  was  outward  in  the 
flesh,  their  praise  was  of  men :  we  are  .Jews  in- 
wardly; our  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in 
the  spirit,  and  not  in  the  letter,  and  our  praise  is 
of  God:''  that  is,  we  are  not  judged  l)y  the  out- 
ward act,  but  by  the  mind  a,id  the  intention  :  and 
though  the  acts  must  follow  ia  all  instances  where 
we  can  and  where  they  are  reuuired ;  yet  it  is  the 
less  principal,  and  rather  significative,  than  by  its 
own  strength  and  energy  operative  and  accepted. 
6    St.  Clement  of  Alexandria  saith,  the  Phari- 

'  Rom.  ii.  28,  2» 


OF    THE    DKCALOGl'E.  219 

•ees  ri}^liteousness  consisted  in  the  not  doin<,'  evil, 
and  that  Christ  superadded  this  also,  that  we  must 
do  the  contrary,  fjood,  and  so  exceed  the  Phari- 
saical measure.  They  would  not  wrong-  a  Jew,  nor 
many  times  relieve  him  :  they  reckoned  their  inno- 
cence by  not  jjiving  offence,  by  walking-  blameless, 
by  not  being  accused  before  the  judg^es  silting  in 
the  gates  of  their  cities.  But  the  balance  in 
whicli  the  .Judge  of"  quick  and  dead  weighs  Chris- 
tians is,  not  only  the  avoiding  evil,  but  doing  good  : 
the  'following  peace  with  all  men  and  holiness;* 
the  proceeding  from  faith  to  faith  ;  the  adding 
virtue  to  virtue;  the  persevering  in  all  holy  con- 
versation and  godliness.  And  therefore  St.  I'aul, 
commending  the  grace  of  universal  charily,  says, 
that  '  love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbour,  there- 
fore love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law;''  implying, 
that  the  prime  intention  of  the  law  was,  that  every 
man's  right  be  secured,  that  no  man  receive  wrong. 
And  indeed  all  the  Decalogue  consisting  of  prohi- 
bitions rather  than  [)recepts,  saying  that  each  table 
halh  one  positive  commandment,  does  not  obscurely 
verify  the  doctrine  of  St.  Clement's  interpretation. 
Now  because  the  Christian  charity  abstains  from 
doing  all  injury,  therefore  it  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law  ;  and  because  it  is  also  patient  and  liberal,  that 
it  suffers  long  and  is  kind,  therefore  the  charity 
commanded  in  Christ's  law  exceeds  that  charity 
which  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  reckoned  as  part 
of  their  righteousness.  But  Jesus  himself  does, 
with  great  care  in  the  particulars,  instance  in  what 
he  would  have  the  disciples  to  be  eminent  above 
the  most  strict  sect  of  the  Jewish  religion  :  1,  in 
practising  the  moral   precepts  of  the   Decalogue 

'  Rom.  xili.  10. 


220  OF    THE    DECALOr.UE. 

with  a  stricter  interpretation  ;  2,  and  in  quitting 
the  permissions  and  licenses,  which  for  the  hardness 
of  their  heart  Moses  gave  them,  as  indulgencies  to 
their  persons,  and  securities  against  the  contempt 
of  too  severe  laws. 

6.  The  severity  of  exposition  was  added  but  to 
three  commandments,  and  in  three  indulgences  the 
permission  was  taken  away.  But  because  our 
great  Lawgiver  repeated  also  other  parts  of  the 
Decalogue  in  his  after-sermons,  I  will  represent  in 
this  one  view  all  that  he  made  to  be  Christian  by 
adoption. ' 

7.  The  first  commandment  Christ  often  repeated 
and  enforced,  as  being  the  basis  of  all  religion,  and 
the  first  endearment  of  all  that  relation  whereby  we 
are  capable  of  being  the  sons  of  God  ;  as  being  the 
great  commandment  of  the  law,  and  comprehensive 
of  all  that  duty  we  owe  to  God  in  the  relations  ot 
the  virtue  of  religion.  '  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord 
thy  God  is  one  Lord;'  and  'thou  shall  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy 
strength.  This  is  the  first  commandment  ;'*  Uiat  is, 
this  comprehends  all  that  which  is  moral  and 
eternal  in  the  first  table  of  the  Decalogue. 

8.  The  duties  of  this  commandment  are,  l,To 
worship  God  alone  with  actions  proper  to  him  ; 
and,  2,  to  love,  and,  3,  obey  him  with  all  our 
faculties.  1.  Concerning  worship.  The  actions 
proper  to  the  honour  of  God,  are  to  oft'er  sacrifice, 
incense,  and  oblations,  making  vows  to  him,  swear- 
ing by  his  name  as  the  instrument  of  secret  testi- 
mony, confessing  his  incommunicable  attributes, 
and  [)raying  to  him  for  those  graces  which  are  es- 

'  Luke,  xviii.20;  Mark,x.  10;  Matt,  xix.  18;  Rom.  xiii.  0. 
«  Matt.  sxii.  a?  ;  ^Fark,  xii.  30;  I^okc,  x.  27. 


UF    THK    DECALOOtU.  <*21 

Bentially  annexed  to  his  dispensation  ;  as  remission 
of  sins,  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  grace  of  sancti- 
fication,  and  life  eternal.  Other  acts  of  religion, 
such  as  are  uncovering  the  head,  howing  the  knee, 
falling  upon  our  face,  stooping  to  the  ground,  re- 
citing |)raises,  are  hy  the  consent  of  nations  used 
lis  testimonies  of  civil  or  religious  veneration,  and 
do  not  always  j)ass  for  confessions  of  a  divinity; 
and  therefore  may  be  without  sin  used  to  angels, 
or  kings,  or  governors,  or  to  persons  in  any  sense 
more  excellent  than  ourselves,  provided  they  be  in- 
tended to  express  an  excellency  no  greater  than  is 
proper  to  their  dignities  and  persons ;  not  in  any 
sense  given  to  an  idol  or  false  gods.  But  the  first 
sort  are  such  which  all  the  world  hath  consented  to 
be  actions  of  divine  and  incommunicable  adoration, 
and  such  which  God  also,  in  several  religions,  hath 
reserved  as  his  own  appropriate  regalities,  and  are 
idolatry  if  given  to  any  angel  or  man. 

9.  The  next  duties  are,  2,  love,  3,  and  obe- 
dience ;  but  they  are  united  in  the  gospel :  'This  is 
love,  ihut  we  keep  his  commandments.'  And 
since  we  are,  for  God's  sake,  bound  also  to  love 
others,  this  love  is  appropriate  to  God  by  the  ex- 
tension of  parts,  and  the  intention  of  degrees. 
The  extension  signifies  that  we  must  serve  God 
with  all  our  faculties;  for  all  division  of  parts  is 
hypocrisy,  and  a  direct  prevarication;  our  heart 
must  think  what  our  tongue  speaks,  our  hands  act 
what  we  promise  or  purpose ;  and  God's  enemies 
must  have  no  share  so  much  as  in  appearance  or 
dissimulation.  Now  no  creature  can  challenge 
this:  and  if  we  do  justice  to  our  neighbour,  though 
unwillingly,  we  have  done  him  no  injury  ;  for  in 
that  case  he  only  who  sees  tlie  irregularity  of  (>ur 


*---  Of  THE  DECALOGUE. 

thoughts  is  the  person  injured.  And  when  we 
swear  to  him,  our  heart  must  swear  as  well  as  our 
tongue,  and  our  hands  must  pay  what  our  lips  have 
promised  ;  or  else  we  provoke  him  with  an  imper- 
fect sacrifice  :  we  love  him  not  with  all  our  mind, 
with  all  our  strength,  and  all  our  faculties. 

10.  But  the  difficulty  and  question  of  this  com- 
mandment lies  in  the  intention.  For  it  is  not 
enough  to  serve  God  with  every  capacity,  passion, 
and  fac  Ity ;  but  it  must  be  every  degree  of  every 
faculty,  all  the  latitude  of  our  will,  all  the  whole 
intention  of  our  passions,  all  the  possibility  and 
energy  of  our  senses  and  our  understanding. 
Which,  because  it  is  to  be  understood  according  to 
that  moderate  sentence  and  account  which  God  re- 
quires of  us,  set  in  the  midst  of  such  a  condition,  so 
attended,  and  depressed,  and  prejudiced,  the  full 
sense  of  it  I  shall  express  in  several  propositions. 

11,  First,  tiie  intention  of  the  love  to  which  we 
are  obliged  requires  not  the  degree  which  is  abso- 
lutely the  greatest,  and  simply  the  most  perfect. 
For  there  are  degrees  of  grace,  every  one  of  which 
is  pleasing  to  God,  and  is  a  state  of  reconciliation 
and  atonement.  And  he  that  '  breaks  not  the 
bruised  reed,'  nor  '  quenches  the  smoking  flax,' 
loves  to  cherish  tliose  endeavours,  which,  beginning 
from  small  principles,  pass  through  the  variety  of 
degrees,  and  give  demonstration,  that  though  it  be 
our  duty  to  contend  for  the  best,  yet  this  conten- 
tion is  witli  an  enemy,  and  that  enemy  makes  an 
abatement,  and  that  abatement,  being  an  imperfec- 
tion rather  than  a  sin,  is  actually  consistent  with  the 
state  of  grace,  the  endeavour  being  in  our  power, 
and  not  the  success :  the  perfection  is  that  w  hicli 
shall  be  our  reward,  and  therefore  is  not  our  pre- 


Ob     IHt:    Dt(  ALUULE.  223 

sent  duty.  And,  indeed,  if  to  do  ibe  best  aclion, 
and  to  love  God  as  we  shall  do  in  lieiiven,  were  a 
present  ol)li;i;alion,  it  would  have  been  clearly 
taught  us  what  is  simply  the  best  action  ;  whereas 
now  that  which  is  of  itself  better,  in  certain  circum- 
stances, is  less  perfect,  and  sometimes  not  lawful: 
and  concerning'  those  circumstances  we  have  no 
rules,  nor  any  guide  but  prudence  and  probable  in- 
ducements. So  that  it  is  certain,  in  our  best  en- 
deavours we  should  only  increase  our  scruples,  in- 
stead of  doing  actions  of  the  highest  perfections; 
we  shouki  erect  a  tyranny  over  our  consciences,  and 
no  augmentation  of  any  thing  but  the  trouble. 
And  therefore,  in  the  law  of  Moses,  when  this  com- 
mandment was  given  in  the  same  words,  jet  that 
the  sense  of  it  might  be  clear,  the  analogy  of  tlie 
law  declared  that  their  duty  had  a  latitude;  and 
that  God  was  not  so  strict  a  taskmaster,  but  that  he 
left  many  instances  of  piety  to  the  voluntary  devo- 
tion of  his  servants,  that  they  might  receive  the  re- 
ward of  free-will  offerings.  But  if  these  words  had 
obliged  them  to  the  greatest  degree,  that  is,  to  all 
the  degrees  of  our  capacities  in  every  instance, 
every  act  of  religion  had  been  duty  and  necessity. 
12.  And  thus  also  it  was  in  the  gosjiel.  Ana- 
nias and  Saj)pliira  were  killed  by  sentence  from 
heaven  for  not  performing  what  was  in  their  power 
at  first  not  to  have  promised;  but  because  they 
brought  an  obligation  u])on  themselves  which  (iod 
brought  not,  and  then  pnnaricated,  they  paid  the 
forfeiture  of  their  lives.  St.  Paul  took  no  wages  of 
the  Corintliian  cliurches,'  but  wrought  night  and 
day  with  his  own   hand;  but   himself  says  he   had 

'  2  Cor.  xi.  7,  8. 


'J\>4  Ol     iUi-    lilCALutiLK. 

power  to  do  otherwise.  There  '  was  Kiid  upon  him 
a  necessity  to  })reach,'  but  no  necessity  to  preach 
without  wages  and  support.  There  is  a  good  and 
a  better  in  virginity  and  marriage;  and  yet  there  is 
no  command  in  either,  but  that  we  abstain  from 
sin ;  we  are  left  to  our  own  election  for  tlie  parti- 
cular, having  '  no  necessity,  but  power  in  our  will.' ' 
David  prayed  seven  times  a  day,  and  Daniel 
prayed  three  times;  and  both  were  beloved  of  God. 
The  Christian  masters  were  not  bound  to  manumit 
their  slaves,  and  yet  were  commended  if  they  did 
so.  Sometimes  the  Christians  fled  in  persecution  ; 
St.  Paul  did  so,  and  St.  Peter  did  so,  and  St.  Cy- 
prian did  so,  and  St.  Athanasius,  and  many  more: 
but  time  was,  when  some  of  these  also  chose  to 
suffer  death  rather  than  to  fly.  And  if  to  fly  be  a 
permission,  and  no  duty,  there  is  certainly  a  differ- 
ence of  degrees  in  the  choice  :  to  fly  is  not  so  great 
a  suffering  as  to  die,  and  yet  a  man  may  innocently 
choose  the  easier.  And  our  blessed  Lord  himself, 
who  never  failed  of  any  degree  of  his  obligations, 
yet  at  some  time  prayed  with  more  zeal  and  fervour 
than  at  other  times,  as  a  little  before  his  passion. 
Since  then  at  all  times  he  did  not  do  actions  of  that 
degree  which  is  absolutely  the  greatest ;  it  is  evi- 
dent that  God's  goodness  is  so  great,  as  to  be  con- 
tent with  such  a  love  which  parts  no  share  between 
him  and  sin  ;  and  leaves  all  the  rest  under  such  a 
liberty,  as  is  only  encouraged  by  those  extraordinary 
rewards  and  crowns  proportioned  to  heroical  en- 
deavours. It  was  a  pretty  question  which  was 
moved  in  the  solitudes  of  Nitria,  concerning  two  re- 
ligious brothers :  the  one  gave  all  his  goods  to  the 

'   1  Cor.  vii.  37. 


or    THE    UfiCALOQl'E.  Q'26 

poor  at  once;  the  other  kept  the  inheritance,  and 
gave  all  the  revenue.'  None  of  all  the  fathers  knew 
which  was  absolutely  the  better — at  once  to  re- 
nounce all,  or  by  repetition  of  charitable  acts  to  di- 
vide it  into  portions  ;  one  act  of  charity  in  an  hero- 
ical  (le<,Mee,  or  an  habitual  charity  in  the  iiegree  of 
virtue.  This  instance  is  probation  enoug-hjthat  the 
opinion  of  such  a  necessity  of  doing-  the  best  action 
simply  and  indefinitely  is  impossible  to  be  safely 
acted,  because  it  is  impossible  to  be  understood. 
Two  talents  shall  be  rewarded,  and  so  shall  five; 
both  in  their  proportions:  '  He  that  sows  sparinj^ly 
shall  reap  sparingly,'  but  he  shall  reap:  '  Every 
man  as  he  purposes  in  his  heart,  so  let  him  give.' 
The  best  action  shall  have  the  best  reward  :  and 
though  he  is  the  happiest  who  rises  highest,  yet  he 
is  not  safest  that  enters  into  the  state  of  dispropor- 
tion to  his  person.  I  find  in  the  lives  of  the  later 
reputed  saints  that  St.  Teresa  a  Jesu  made  a  vow 
to  do  every  thing  which  she  should  judge  to  be  the 
best.  I  will  not  judge  the  person,  nor  censure  the 
action,  because  possibly  her  intention  and  desires 
were  of  greatest  sanctity  ;  but  whosoever  considers 
the  story  of  her  life,  and  the  strange  repugnancies 
in  tlie  life  of  man  to  such  tmdertakings,  must  needs 
fear  to  imitate  an  action  of  such  danger  and  singu- 
larity. The  advice  which  in  this  case  is  safest  to 
be  followed,  is,  that  we  employ  our  greatest  indus- 
try that  we  fall  not  into  sin  and  actions  of  forbidden 
nature ;  and  then  strive,  by  parts  and  steps,  and 
with  much  wariness  in  attempering  our  zeal,  to 
superadd  degrees  of  eminency,  and  observation  of 
the  more  perfect  instances  of  sanctity  :  that  doing 
some  excellencies  which  God  hath  not  commanded, 
'  Hist.  r.  L.1USW. 
VOL.   II.  16 


^26  OF  THE  DECALOGUE. 

he  may  be  the  rather  moved  to  pardon  our  preva- 
ricating so  many  parts  of  our  necessary  duty.  If 
love  transport  us,  and  carry  us  to  actions  sublime 
and  heroical,  let  us  follow  so  good  a  guide,  and 
pass  on  with  diligence,  and  zeal,  and  prudence,  as 
far  as  love  will  carry  us:  but  let  us  not  be  carried 
to  actions  of  great  eminence  and  strictness  and 
unequal  severities  by  scruple  and  pretence  of  duty; 
lest  we  charge  our  miscarriages  upon  God,  and  call 
the  yoke  of  the  gosj)el  insupportable,  and  Christ  a 
hard  task-master.  But  ue  shall  pass  from  virtue  to 
virtue  with  more  safety,  if  a  spiritual  guide  take  us 
by  the  hand  ;  only  remembering,  that  if  the  angels 
themselves  and  the  beatified  souls  do  now,  and  shall 
hereafter,  differ  in  degrees  of  love  and  glory,  it  is 
impossible  the  state  of  perfection  should  be  confined 
to  the  highes;t  love,  and  the  greatest  degree,  and 
such  as  admits  no  variety,  no  increment,  or  differ- 
ence of  parts  and  stations. 

13.  Secondly,  Our  love  to  God  consists  not  in 
any  one  determinate  degree,  but  hath  such  a  lati- 
tude as  best  agrees  with  the  condition  of  men,  who 
are  of  variable  natures,  different  affections  and 
capacities,  changeable  abilities,  and  which  receive 
their  heightenings  and  declensions  according  to  a 
thousand  accidents  of  mortality.  For  when  a  law 
is  regularly  prescribed  to  persons  whose  varieties 
and  different  constitutions  cannot  be  regular  or 
uniform,  it  is  certain  God  gives  a  great  latitude  ot 
performance,  and  binds  not  to  just  atoms  and 
points.  The  laws  of  God  are  like  universal  objects 
received  into  the  faculty,  partly  by  choice,  partly 
by  nature  ;  but  the  variety  of  perfection  is  by  the 
variety  of  the  instruments,  and  disposition  to  the 
recipient;  and  they  are  excelled  by  each  other  in 
several  senses,  and  by  themselves  at  several  times. 


OF   lui:  uKCALOOL'i:.  227 

And  so  is  tlie  practice  of  our  obedience,  and  the 
entertainincuts  of  tlie  divine  commandments.  For 
some  are  o(  malleable  natures,  others  are  morose; 
some  are  of  healiliful  anil  temperate  constitutions, 
others  are  lustful,  full  of  fancy,  full  of  appetite  ; 
some  have  excellent  leisure  and  opportunities  of 
retirement,  others  are  busy  in  an  active  life,  and 
cannot  with  advantage  attend  to  the  choice  of  ihv. 
better  part;  some  are  peaceable  and  timorous,  and 
some  are  in  all  instances  serene,  others  are  of 
tumultuous  and  unquiet  spirits  :  and  these  become 
opportunities  of  temptation  on  one  side,  and  on  the 
other  occasions  of  virtue,  iiut  every  change  of 
faculty  and  variety  of  circumstance  hath  influence 
uj)on  morality  :  and  therefore  their  duties  are  per- 
sonally altered,  and  increase  in  obligation,  or  are 
slackened  by  necessities,  according  to  the  infinite 
alteration  of  exterior  accidents  and  interior  possi- 
bilities. 

14,  Thirdly,  Our  love  to  God  must  be  totally 
exclusive  of  any  aflection  to  sin,  and  engage  us 
upon  a  great,  assiduous  and  laborious  care  to  resist 
all  temptations,  to  subdue  sin,  to  acquire  the  habits 
of  virtues,  and  live  holily  ;  as  it  is  already  expressed 
in  the  discourse  of  repentance.  We  must  prefer 
God  as  the  object  of  our  hopes,  we  must  choose  to 
obey  him  rather  than  man,  to  please  him  rather 
than  satisfy  ourselves;  and  we  must  do  violence  to 
our  strongest  passions  when  they  once  contest 
against  a  divine  commandment.  If  our  passions 
are  thus  regulated,  let  tbem  be  fixed  upon  any 
lawful  object  whatsoever;  if  at  the  same  time  we 
prefer  heaven  and  heavenly  tilings,  that  is,  would 
rather  choose  to  lose  our  temporal  love  than  our 
eternal    hopes,  (which  we  can  best  discern  by  our 


i2S  OF    THIi    DCCALOaUK. 

refusing-  to  sin  upon  tlie  solicitation  or  engagement 
of  the  temporal  object,)  then,  although  we  feel  the 
transportation  of  a  sensual  love  towards  a  wife,  or 
child,  or  friend,  actually  more  pungent  and  sensible 
than  passions  of  religion  are,  they  are  less  perfect, 
but  they  are  not  criminal.  Our  love  to  God  re- 
quires that  we  do  his  commandments,  and  that  we 
do  not  sin  :  but  in  other  things  we  are  permitted, 
in  the  condition  of  our  nature,  to  be  more  sensi- 
tively moved  by  visible  than  by  invisible  and  spi- 
ritual objects.  Only  this,  we  must  ever  have  a  dis- 
position and  a  mind  prepared  to  quit  our  sensitive 
and  pleasant  objects,  rather  than  quit  a  grace  or 
commit  a  sin.  Every  act  of  sin  is  against  the  love 
of  God,  and  every  man  does  many  single  actions  of 
hostility  and  provocation  against  him :  but  the 
state  of  the  love  of  God  is  that  which  we  actually 
call  the  state  of  grace.  When  Christ  reigns  in  us, 
and  sin  does  not  reign,  but  the  spirit  is  quickened, 
and  the  lusts  are  mortified  ;  when  we  are  habitu- 
ally virtuous,  and  do  acts  of  piety,  temperance, 
and  justice,  frequently,  easily,  cheerfully,  and  with 
a  successive,  constant,  moral  and  human  industry, 
according  to  the  talent  which  God  hath  entrusted 
to  us  in  the  banks  of  nature  and  grace  ;  then  we 
are  in  the  love  of  God,  then  we  '  love  him  with  all 
our  heart.'  But  if  sin  grows  upon  us,  and  is  com- 
mitted more  frequently,  or  gets  a  victory  with  less 
ditficulty,  or  is  obeyed  more  readily,  or  entertained 
vvitli  a  freer  complacency,  then  we  love  not  God 
as  he  requires,  we  divide  between  him  and  sin,  and 
God  is  not  the  Lord  of  all  our  faculties.  But  the 
instances  of  Scripture  are  the  best  exposition  oi 
this  commandment:  '  for  David  followed  God 
with  all  his  heart,  to  do  that  which  was  right  in  his 


(»i'  nil.   i»Kt  vLtMiLi:.  229 

ejos;'  aiRi  '  Josiali  turned  lo  the  JjOuI  nith  all  liis 
lieiirt,  and  with  all  his  soul,  and  with  all  his  miyht.' 
Both  these  kings  did  it:  and  yet  there  was  some 
imperfection  in  David,  and  more  violent  recessions: 
lor  so  saith  the  Scripture  of  Josiah,  '  liike  unto 
him  was  there  no  king-  before  iiim  ;'  David  was  not 
so  exact  as  he,  and  yet  he  followed  God  '  with  all 
his  heart,'  From  which  these  two  corollaries  are 
certainly  deducible  :  That  to  love  God  with  all  our 
heart  admits  variety  of  degrees,  and  the  lower  de- 
gree is  yet  a  love  with  all  our  heart ;  and  yet  to 
love  God  requires  a  holy  life,  a  diligent  walking  iu 
the  commandments,  either  according  to  the  sense 
of  innocence  or  of  penitents,  either  by  first  or 
second  counsels,  by  the  spirit  ol'  regeneration  or  the 
spirit  of  renovation  and  restitution.  The  sum  is 
this,  tiie  sense  of  this  precept  is  such  as  may  be  re- 
conciled with  the  inHrmities  of  our  nature,  but  not 
with  a  vice  in  our  manners;  with  the  recession  of 
single  acts  seldom  done,  and  always  disj>uted 
against,  and  long  fought  with,  but  not  with  an  ha- 
bitual aversation,  or  a  ready  obedience  to  sin,  or  an 
easy  victory. 

15.  This  commandment,  being  the  sum  of  the 
first  table,  had  in  Moses's  law  particular  instances 
which  Christ  did  not  insert  into  his  institution  ;  and 
he  added  no  otiier  particular,  but  that  which  we 
call  the  tiiird  commandment  concerning  veneration 
an. I  reverence  to  the  name  of  God.  The  other  two, 
viz.,  concerning  images  and  the  sabbath,  have 
some  special  considerations. 

1()  'J'he  Jews  receive  daily  offence  against  the 
culechisms  of  some  churches,  who,  in  the  recitation 

'  1  Kings,  XIV.  «  ;     2  Kings,  xxUu  25. 


2;J(i  or    THH     KFCAl.OOLE 

of  the  Decalogue,  omit  llie  second  com  mane)  ment, 
as  supposin,"^  it  to  he  a  [)art  of  the  first,  accorditig 
as  we  account  tliem  ;'  and  their  offence  rises  higher, 
because  they  observe  that  in  the  New  Testament, 
where  the  Decalogue  is  six  times  repeated  in  special 
recitation  and  in  summaries,  there  is  no  word  pro- 
hibiting the  making,  retaining,  or  respect  of  images. 
Concerning  whicli  things  Christians  consider,  that 
God  forbade  the  Jews  the  very  having  and  making 
images  and  representments,  not  only  of  the  true 
God,  or  of  fidse  and  imaginary  deities,  but  of  visible 
creatures:*  which,  because  it  was  but  of  temporary 
reason,  and  relative  consideration  of  their  aptness 
to  superstition,  and  their  conversing  with  idolatrous 
nations,  was  a  command  proper  to  the  nation,  part 
of  their  covenant;  not  of  essential,  indispensable, 
and  eternal  reason,  not  of  that  which  we  usually 
call  the  law  of  nature.  Of  which  also  God  gave 
testimony,  because  himself  commanded  the  signs 
and  representment  of  seraphim  lobe  set  upon  the 
mercy-seat,  towards  which  the  j)riest  and  the  f)eop]e 
made  their  addresses  in  their  religious  adorations; 
and  of  the  brazen  serpent,  to  which  they  looked 
when  they  called  to  God  for  help  against  the  sting 
of  the  venomous  snakes.  These  instances  tell  us, 
that  to  make  pictures  or  statues  of  creatures  is  not 

'  Vide  Exod.  xxxiv.  13;  Deut.  iv.  K!;  vii.  5;  Numbers, 
XTCxiii.  52. 

s  Imo  et  ccclesia  8  Novemb.  celebrat  Martyrium  Claudii  Ni« 
costrati  et  sociorum,  qui,  ciim  peritissimi  fuerant  statuarii,  mor- 
tem potius  fcrre,  qufsm  Gentilibus  simulachra  facere,  maluerunt. 
"AyaXjia  h  KanaKivcKn,  cia  rb  fu)  ro/u'^fo'  ai'^nioTroftopiltov 
th'ai  roj'Bjov,  dixit  Diodor.  Sic  de  IMoj'se. — "The  church  ce- 
lebrates, on  the  8th  of  November,  the  martyrdom  of  Claudius  Ni- 
costratus  and  his  companions,  who,  being  most  excellent  sculptors, 
preferred  death  to  making  images  for  the  Gentiles.  Diod.  Sicul. 
says,  that  Moses  would  allow  no  images  for  fear  it  might  be 
supposed  that  God  was  in  the  form  of  man* 


OF    THE    DF.CAl.OGCE.  031 

against  a  natural  reason,  and  tliat  they  may  have 
uses  which  are  profitable,  as  well  as  be  abused  to 
danger  and  superstition.  Now  although  the  nature 
of  that  people  Avas  apt  to  the  abuse,  and  their  in- 
tercourse with  the  nations  in  tlieir  confines  was  too 
great  an  invitation  to  entertain  the  danger ;  yet 
Christianity  hath  so  far  removed  that  danger  by 
the  analogy  and  design  of  the  religion,  by  clear 
doctrines,  revelations,  and  infinite  treasures  of  wis- 
dom, and  demonstrations  of  tlie  Spirit,  that  our 
blessed  Lawgiver  thought  it  not  necessary  to  remove 
us  from  superstition  by  a  prohibition  of  the  use  ot 
images  and  pictures;  and  therefore  left  us  to  the 
sense  of  the  great  commandment,  and  the  dictates 
of  right  reason,  to  take  care  that  we  do  not  dis- 
honour the  invisible  God  with  visible  representa- 
tions of  what  we  never  saw  nor  can  understand, 
nor  yet  convey  any  of  God's  incommunicable  wor- 
ship in  the  fore-named  instances  to  any  thing  but 
liiniself.  And  for  the  matter  of  images  we  have 
no  other  rule  left  us  in  the  New  Testament :  the 
rules  of  reason  and  nature,  and  the  other  parts  of 
tlie  institution,  are  almndantly  sufficient  for  our 
security.  And  possibly  St.  Pai>l  might  relate  to 
this,  when  he  affirmed  concerning  the  fillii,  that  it 
was  '  the  first  commandment  with  promise.'  For 
in  the  second  commandment  to  the  Jews,  as  there 
was  a  great  threatening,  so  also  a  greater  promise, 
of  '  showing  mercy  to  a  thousand  generations." 
But  because  the  body  of  this  commandment  was 
not  transcribed  into  the  Christian  law,  the  first  of 
the  Decalogue  which  we  retain,  and  in  which  a 
promise  is  inserted,  is  the  fifth  commandment. 
And  therefore  the  wisdom  cf  the  church  was  re- 
markable in  the  varletv  of  sentences  concerning  the 


232  OF    THli    l>£0ALOGtE. 

permission  of  images.  At  first,  when  they  were 
blended  in  the  danger  and  impure  mixtures  ol 
Gentilism,  and  men  were  newly  recovered  from  the 
snare,  and  had  the  relics  of  a  long  custom  to  su- 
perstitious and  false  worshippings,  they  endured 
no  images,  but  merely  civil.  But  as  the  danger 
ceased,  and  Christianity  prevailed,  they  found  that 
pictures  had  a  natural  use  of  good  concernment,  to 
move  less  knowing  people,  by  the  representment 
and  declaration  of  a  story  :  and  then  they,  know- 
ing themselves  permitted  to  the  liberties  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  the  restraints  of  nature  and  reason, 
and  not  being  still  weak,  under  prejudice  and  child- 
ish dangers,  but  fortified  by  the  excellency  of  a 
wise  religion,  took  them  into  lawful  uses,  doing 
honour  to  saints  as  unto  the  absent  emperors,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  empire  ;  they  erected 
statues  to  their  honour,  and  transcribed  a  history, 
and  sometimes  a  precept,  into  a  table,  by  figures, 
making  more  lasting  impressions  than  words  and 
sentences.  While  the  church  stood  within  these 
limits,  she  had  natural  reason  for  her  warrant,  and 
the  custom  of  the  several  countries,  and  no  precept 
of  Christ  to  countermand  it:  they  who  went  fur- 
ther were  unreasonable,  and  according  to  the  de- 
gree of  that  excess  were  superstitious. 

17.  The  duties  of  this  commandment  are  learned 
by  the  intents  of  it.  For  it  was  directed  against 
the  false  religion  of  the  nations,  who  believed  the 
images  of  their  gods  to  be  filled  with  tht  deity : 
and  it  was  also  a  caution  to  prevent  our  low  ima- 
ginations of  God,  lest  we  should  come  to  think 
(jod  to  be  like  man.  And  thus  far  there  was  in- 
dispensable and  eternal  reason  in  the  precept :  and 
this  was  never  lessened   in  any  thing  by  tiie  holy 


UF    Tilt    UKCALOOUt.  '2'dli 

Jesus,  and  obliges  us  Chrisliuns  to  iiuike  our  ad- 
dresses and  worsliippings  to  no  j^od  but  tlie  God  of 
the  Christians ;  that  is,  of  all  the  world  ;  and  not 
to  do  this  in  or  before  an  image  of  him,  because  he 
cannot  be  represented  :  for  the  images  of  Christ 
and  his  saints,  they  come  not  into  either  of  the  two 
considerations  ;  and  we  are  to  understand  our  duty 
by  the  proportions  of  our  reverence  to  God,  ex- 
pressed in  the  great  commandment.  Our  fathers 
in  Christianity,  as  I  observed  now,  made  no  scruple 
of  using  the  images  and  pictures  of  their  princes 
and  learned  men ;  which  the  Jews  undei-stood  to 
be  forbidden  to  them  in  the  commandment.  Then 
they  admitted  even  in  tbe  utensils  of  the  church 
Home  coelatures  and  engravings  :  such  was  that  Ter- 
lullian  speaks  of,  "the  good  shepherd  in  tlie  chalice." 
Afterwards  they  admitted  pictures,  but  not  before 
the  time  of  Constanline  ;  for  in  the  council  of  Elibe- 
ris  they  were  forbidden.  And  in  succession  of 
time  the  scruples  lessened  with  the  danger,  and  all 
the  Way  they  signified  their  belief  to  be,  that  this 
commandment  was  only  so  far  retained  by  Christ, 
as  it  relied  upon  natural  reason,  or  was  a  particu- 
lar instance  of  the  great  commandment :  tliat  is, 
images  were  forbidden  where  they  did  dishonour 
God,  or  lessen  his  reputation,  or  estrange  our  duties, 
or  become  idols,  or  the  direct  matter  of  supersti- 
tious observances,  charms,  or  senseless  confidences  ; 
but  lliey  were  permitted  to  represent  the  humanity 
of  Christ,  to  remember  saints  and  martyrs,  to  re- 
count a  story,  to  imprint  a  memory,  to  do  honour 
and  reputati(m  to  absent  persons,  and  to  be  the  in- 
struments of  a  relative  civility  and  esteem.  But  in 
this  j>articnlar,  infinite  care  is  to  be  taken  of  scandal 
und  dan^^cr,  of  a  forward  and  /eulous  ignorance,  or 


234  OF    THE    DECALOGUE. 

of  a  mistaking  and  peevish  confidence:  and  wViere 
a  society  hath  such  persons  in  it,  the  little  good  of 
images  must  not  be  violently  retained  with  tiie 
greater  danger  and  certain  offence  of  such  persons, 
of  whom  consideration  is  to  be  had  in  the  cure  of 
souls.  I  only  add  this,  that  the  first  Christians 
made  no  scruple  of  saluting  the  statues  of  their 
princes,  and  were  confident  it  made  no  intrench- 
ment  upon  the  natural  prohibition  contained  in 
this  commandment;  because  they  had  reserved, 
that  exterior  inclinations  and  addresses  of  the  body, 
though  in  the  lowest  manner,  were  not  proper  to 
God,  but  in  Scripture  found  also  to  be  commu- 
nicated to  creatures,  to  kings,  to  prophets,  to 
parents,  to  religious  persons;'  and  because  they 
found  it  to  be  death  to  do  affront  to  the  pictures 
and  statues  of  their  emperors,  they  concluded  in 
reason,  (which  they  also  saw  verified  by  the  prac- 
tice and  opinion  of  all  the  world,)  that  the  respect 
they  did  at  the  emperor's  statue  was  accepted  as  a 
veneration  to  his  person.  But  these  things  are 
but  sjKiringly  to  be  drawn  into  religion,  because 
the  customs  of  this  world  are  altered,  and  their 
opinions  new  ;  and  many,  who  have  not  weak  un- 
derstandings, have  weak  consciences  :  and  tlie  ne- 
cessity for  the  entertainment  of  them  is  not  so 
great  as  the  offence  is  or  may  he. 

18.  in.  Com.  *  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name 
of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain.'  This  our  blessed 
Saviour  repeating  expresses  it  thus:  'It  hath  been 
said  to  them  of  old  time,  Tiiou  shalt  not  forswear 
thyself;'  to  which  Christ  adds,  out  of  Numb.  xxx. 
2,  '  But  thou   shalt   ])erform    thy   oaths    unto    the 

'  Geii.  xlviii.  12;  xxiii.  12;  xxvii.  29;  xlii.  G ;  ISam.  xx. 
41  ;   1  Kings,  i.  -IG. 


or    THE    UECALOGIE.  236 

Lord.'  The  meaning  of  tlie  one  we  are  taught  by 
the  other.  We  must  not  invocate  the  name  of 
God  in  any  promise  in  vain  ;  that  is,  with  a  lie  : 
which  happens  either  out  of  levity,  that  we  change 
our  purpose,  which  at  first  we  really  intended  ;  or 
when  our  intention  at  that  instant  was  fallacious, 
and  contradictory  to  the  undertaking.  This  is  to 
take  the  name  of  God, — that  is,  to  use  it,  to  take  it 
into  our  mouths, — for  vanity  ;  that  is,  according  to 
tlie  perpetual  style  of  Scripture,  for  a  lie.  '  Every 
one  hath  spoken  vanity  to  his  neighbour ;'  that 
is,  hath  lied  unto  him  ;  for  so  it  follows,  '  with 
flattering  lips,  and  with  a  double  heart.''  And 
'  swearing  deceitfully,'  is,  by  the  Psalmist,  called 
•a  lifting  up  his  soul  unto  vanity.'-  And  Philo  the 
Jew,  who  well  understood  the  law  and  the  language 
of  his  nation,  renders  the  sense  of  this  command- 
ment to  be,  "to  call  God  to  witness  to  a  lie."  And 
this  is  to  1)6  understood  only  in  promises ;  for  so 
Christ  explains  it  by  the  appendix  out  of  the  law, 
'  thou  shalt  perform  thy  oaths.'  For  lying  in  judg- 
ment, wliicii  is  also  with  an  oath,  or  taking  God's 
name  for  witness,  is  forl)idden  in  the  ninth  com- 
mandment. To  this  Christ  added  a  further  re- 
straint :  for  whereas,  by  the  natural  law,  it  was 
not  unlawful  to  swear  by  any  oath  that  implied 
not  idolatry,  or  the  belief  of  a  false  god;  I  say, 
any  grave  and  prudent  oath,  when  they  spake  a 
grave  truth;  and  whereas,  it  was  lawful  for  the 
.lews  in  ordinary  intercourse  to  swear  by  God,  so 
they  did  not  swear  to  a  lie,  (to  wliich,  also,  swear- 
ing to  an  impertinency  might  be  reduced,  by  a 
proportion  of  reason,  and  was  so  accounted  of  in 

'  P»lm  Kii.  2.  '  Psalm  XX iv. 4. 


230  ()!•     iHj;    DECALOGLK. 

the  practice  of  tlie  Jews;)  but  else,  aiid  in  other 
cases,  tliey  used  to  swear  by  God,  or  by  a  creature 
respectively:  (lor,  'they  that  swear  by  him  siiall 
be  commended,'  saith  the  Psalmist:  and  swear- 
infj  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  is  called  *  speaking  thf 
language  of  Canaan  :' ')  most  of  this  was  rescinded , 
Christ  forbade  all  swearing  ;  not  only  swearing  to  a 
lie,  but  also  swearing  to  a  truth  in  common  affairs, 
not  only  swearing  commonly  by  the  name  of  God, 
but  swearing  commonly  by  heaven  and  by  the 
earth,  by  our  head,  or  by  any  other  oath  :  only 
let  our  speech  be  yea,  or  nay  ;  that  is,  plainly 
affirming  or  denying.  In  these,  I  say,  Christ  cor- 
rected the  licence  and  vanities  of  the  Jews  and 
Gentiles.  For  the  Jews  accounted  it  religion  to 
name  God,  and  therefore  would  not  swear  by  him 
but  in  the  more  solemn  occasions  of  their  life ;  but 
in  trittes  they  would  swear  by  their  fathers,  or  the 
light  of  heaven,  or  the  ground  they  trod  on  :  so  the 
Greeks  were  also  careful  not  to  swear  by  the  gods 
liglrfty,  much  less  fallaciously ;  but  they  would 
swear  by  any  thing  about  them  or  near  them 
upon  an  occasion  as  vain  as  their  oath.  But,  be- 
cause these  oaths  are  either  indirectly  to  be  re- 
ferred to  God,  (and  Christ  instances  in  divers,)  or 
else  they  are  but  a  vain  testimony,  or  else  they 
gave  a  divine  honour  to  a  creature,  by  making  it  a 
judge  of  truth  and  discerner  of  spirits ;  therefore 
Christ  seems  to  forbid  all  forms  of  swearing  what- 
soever. In  pursuance  of  which  law,  Basilides, 
being  converted  at  the  prayers  of  Potaniiretia,  a 
virgin-martyr,  and  required  by  his  fellow-soldierg 
to  swear  up<m  some  occasion  tlien  hapj>ening,  an 

>  Psalm  Ixiii.  11  ;   I  Sam.  xx.  17;   Isiiiah,  xix.  18 


OF  Tin;  DrxAi.ooiE.  237 

swerecl,  it  was  not  lawful  for  him  to  swear,  for  he 
was  a  Christian.  Anrl  many  of  the  fathers  have 
followed  the  words  of  Christ  in  so  severe  a  sense, 
that  their  words  seem  to  admit  no  exception. 

19.  But  here  a  prain  of  salt  must  be  taken,  lest 
the  letter  destroy  the  spirit.  1.  It  is  certain  the 
holy  Jesus  forbade  a  custom  of  swearino^ ;  it  beinj; 
great  irrelii^ion  to  despise  and  lessen  the  name  of 
God,  wiiicli  is  the  instrument  and  conveyance  of 
our  adorations  to  him,  by  making  it  common  and 
applicable  to  trifles  and  ordinary  accidents  of  our 
life.'  He  that  swears  often,  many  times  swears  false; 
and,  however,  lays  by  that  reverence  which,  being 
due  to  God,  the  Scripture  determines  to  be  due  to 
his  name:  his  name  is  to  be  loved  and  feared. 
And  therefore  Christ  commands  that  our  commu- 
nication be  yea,  yea,  or  nay,  nay;  that  is,  our  ordi- 
nary discourses  should  be  simply  affirmative  or 
negative.  In  order  to  this,  Plutarch  affirms,  out  of 
Phavorinus,  that  the  reason  why  the  Greeks  forbade 
children  who  were  about  to  swear  by  Hercules,  to 
swear  within  doors,  was,  that  by  this  delay  and  pre- 
})aration  they  might  be  taught  not  to  be  hasty  or 
quick  in  swearing  ;  but  all  such  invocations  should 
be  restrained  and  retarded  by  ceremony :  and 
Hercules  himself  was  observed  never  to  have  sworn 
in  all  iiis  life-time  but  once.  2.  Not  only  custo- 
mary swearing  is  forbidden,  but  all  swearing  upon 
:i  slight  cause.    St.  Hasil  upbraids  some  Christians, 

'  Vide  Kcclus.  xxiii.  'J,  11,  13.  Dominus  et  Jacobus  ideo 
prohibuenint  jusjurandum,  iion  ut  illud  prorsus  e  rebus  huma- 
nis  tollercnt,  sed  ijuia  caverenius  u  perjuno,  non  facile  juraiido. 
S.  August,  ser.  2K.  dc  verbis  Apost. — "  Our  Lord  and  James  so 
urohibited  swearing,  not  that  it  might  be  altogether  disused  in 
human  affairs,  but  that  we  might  be  prevented  t'roni  committing 
perjury,  hv  swearing  too  rr:iHiljr." 


238  <»F     rilK    DEC  A  LOG  CE, 

his  conteniponuies,  vvilh  the  example  of  Clineas  the 
Pythagorean,  vUio,   rather    than    he  would    swear, 
suffered  a  mulct  of  three  talents.     And  all  the  fol- 
lowers of  Pythagoras  admitted  no  oath,  unless  the 
matter  were  grave,  necessary,  and  charitable :  and 
the  wisest  and  gravest  persons  among  the  heathens 
were  very  severe  in  their  counsels  concerning  oaths. 
3.  But  there  are  some  cases  in  which  the  interests 
of  kingdoms  and  bodies  politic,   peace,  and  con- 
federacies, require  the  sanction  of  promissory  oaths  : 
and  they  whom  we  are  bound  to  obey,  and  who 
may  kill  us  if  we  do  not,  require  that  their  interests 
be  secured   by   an  oath.     And  that,  in  this  case, 
and  all  that  are  equal,  our  blessed  Saviour  did  not 
Ibrbid  oaths,  is  certain,  not  only  by  the  example  of 
Christians,  but  of  all  the  world  before  and  sin-ce 
this  prohibition,  understanding  it  to  be  of  the  na- 
ture of  such  natural   bands  and  securities,  without 
which  commonwealths  in  some  cases  are  not  easily 
combined,  and   therefore  to  be  a  thing  necessary, 
and  therefore  not  to  be  forbidden.     Now,  what  is 
by  Christiar.3  to  be  esteemed   a   slight   cause,  we 
may  determine    by  the  account  we  take  of  other 
things.     The  glory   of  God  is  certainly   no   light 
matter ;  and  therefore,  when  that  is  evidently  and 
certainly    concerned,   not   phantastically    and    by 
vain  and  imaginary  consequences,  but  by  prudent 
and  true  estimation,  then  we  may  lawfully  swear. 
We  have  St.  Paul's  example,  who  well  understood 
the  precejjt  of  his  Master,  and  is  not  to  be  supposed 
easily  to  have  done  any  violence  to  it ;  but  yet  we 
find    religious   affirmations,  and   God  invoked  for 
witness  as  a  record  upon  his  soul,  in  his  epistles  to 
the    Romans,    Galatians,    and    Corinthians.'     But 

1  Rom.  i.  y ;  2  Cor.  xi.  31  )  Gal.  i.  20. 


ur   ritE  otcALoiiLE.  239 

these  oaths  were  only  assertory.  TertuUian  afiirin- 
eth,  that  Christians  refused  to  swear  by  tlie  genius 
of  their  prince,  because  it  was  a  daemon  ;  but  they 
sivare  by  his  lieallh,  and  their  solemn  oath  was  by 
God,  and  Christ,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
majesty  of  the  emperor.  The  fathers  of  the  Eplie- 
sine  council  made  Nestorius  and  Victor  swear ; 
and  the  bishops  at  Chalcedon  sware  by  the  health 
of  their  princes.  But  as  St.  Paul  did  it  extrajudi- 
cially, when  the  ijlory  of  God  was  concerned  in  it 
and  the  interests  of  souls;  so  tl)e  Christians  used  to 
swear  in  a  cause  of  piety  and  relinjion,  in  obedi- 
ence, and  ujion  public  command,  or  for  the  ends  of 
charity  and  justice,  both  with  oaths  promissory 
and  assertory,  as  the  matter  required  ;  wilh  this 
only  diflference,  that  they  never  did  swear  in  the 
causes  of  justice  or  charity,  but  when  they  were  be- 
fore a  ma<jistrate  ;  bnt  if  it  were  in  a  cause  of  reli- 
gion, and  in  matters  of  promise,  they  did  indeed 
swear  among  themselves,  hut  always  to  or  in  com- 
munities and  societies,  oV)liginf^  themselves  l>y  oath 
not  to  comn)it  wickedness,  robberies,  sacrilege,  not 
to  deceive  their  trust,  not  to  detain  the  pledg-e; 
which  rather  was  an  act  of  direct  intercourse  with 
God,  than  a  solemn  or  religious  obligation  to  man. 
Which  very  thing-  Pliny  also  reports  of  the  Chris- 
tians. 

20.  The  sum  is  tins  :  since  the  whole  subject 
matter  of  this  precept  is  oaths  promissory,  or  voms; 
all  promises  wilh  oaths  are  regularly  forbidden  to 
Christians,  unless  they  be  made  to  (iod  or  God's 
vicegerent,  in  a  matter  not  trilling:'   for,  in  the  first 

'  T<)  N«f  (?)  TO  Or  <r»'\,\«f(((  oro"  «\X'  Ofiiof;  ro  KodrtTo}'  riHif 
«y«5t«i'  )'/  aXi'i^na,  »?/ (VtTYftroj;  opotTc/i,' 7roi'f/f)if/r,  ro  i^fw^of, 
ro'ir  /(((Ciioir  Tnroir  niiitafi  ToWuKit;  iiiXfon-^irrif.  !S.  Basil, 
lib.  de  !Si)ir.  Sanct, 


240  OF    THE    DECALOGUE. 

case,  a  promise  made  to  God,  and  a  swearings  hy 
God  to  perform  the  promise,  to  him  is  all  one  :  for 
the  name  of  God  being-  tiie  instrument  and  deter- 
mination of  all  our  addresses,  we  cannot  be  sup- 
posed to  speak  to  God  without  using;-  of  his  name 
explicitl}'  or  by  implication  :  and  therefore  he  tiiut 
promises  to  God  makes  a  promise,  and  uses  God's 
name  in  the  promise;  the  promise  itself  beino-  in 
the  nature  of  a  prayer  of  solemn  invocation  of  God. 
In  the  second  case,  when  the  public  necessity  re- 
quires it,  of  which  we  are  not  judges,  but  are  un- 
der authority,  we  find  the  lawfulness  by  being^ 
bound  to  believe,  or  not  to  contradict  the  pretence 
of  its  necessity.'  Only  care  is  to  be  taken  that  the 
matter  be  s^rave  or  relig-ious.  That  is,  it  is  to  be 
esteemed  and  presumed  so  by  us,  if  the  oath  be  im- 
posed by  our  lawful  superiors,  and  to  be  cared  for 
by  them  :  or  else  it  is  so  to  be  provided  for  by  our- 
selves, when  our  intercourse  is  with  God,  as  in 
vows  and  promises  passed  to  God ;  beings  careful 
that  we  do  not  offer  to  God  goats'- hair,  or  the 
fumes  of  mushrooms,  or  the  blood  of  swine;  that  is, 
things  either  impious  or  vain  But  in  our  oommu- 
nicalion,  that  is,  in  our  ordinary  intercourse  with 
men,  we  must  promise  by  simple  testimony,  not  by 
religious  adjurations,  though  a  creature  be  the  in- 
strument of  the  oath. 

21.  But  this  forbids  not  assertory  oaths  at  all,  or 
<]eposing  in  judgment:  for  of  this  Christ  speaks 
not  here,  it  being  the  proper  matter  of  anotiier 
commandment.  And  since  (as  St.  Paul  affirms) 
'  an  oath  is  the  end  of  all  controversy,"-'  and  that 

'  Necessitas,  niagum  humanae  imbecillitatis  praesidiuni,  quic- 
<]iiid  cogit,  exciuat.  Sen. — ''  Necessity,  the  great  defence  of 
human  imbeciliiv,  whatsoever  it  compels  it  excuses." 

«  Heb.  VI.  IC 


OF    THE    DECALOGtK.  241 

ihe  necessity  of  commonwealths  requires  that  a 
period  should  be  fixed  to  questions,  and  a  rule  for 
the  nearest  certainty  for  judp^ment;  whatsoever  is 
necessary  is  not  unlawful :  and  Christ,  who  came 
to  knit  the  bonds  of  government  faster,  by  the  stric- 
ture of  more  religious  ties,  cannot  he  understood  to 
have  given  precepts  to  dissolve  the  instruments  of 
judicature  and  prudent  government.  But  concern- 
ing assertory  oaths,  although  they  are  not  forbid- 
den, but  supposed  in  the  ninth  commandment  to 
be  done  before  our  judges  in  the  cause  of  our 
neighbour;  yet  because  they  are  only  so  supposed, 
and  no  way  else  mentioned  by  permission  or  inti- 
mation, therefore  they  are  to  be  estimated  by  the 
proportions  of  this  precept  concerning  promissory 
oaths.  They  may  be  taken  in  judgment  and 
righteousness,  but  never  lightly,  never  extrajudici- 
ally :  only  a  less  cause,  so  it  be  judicial,  may  rather 
authorize  an  assertory  than  a  promissory  oath;  be- 
cause many  cases  occur  in  which  peace  and  justice 
may  be  concerned,  which  without  an  oath  are  in- 
determinable ;  but  there  are  but  few  necessities  to 
confirm  a  promise  by  an  oath.  And  therefore  the 
reverence  of  the  name  of  God  ought  not  to  be  in- 
trenched upon  in  accidents  of  little  or  no  necessity. 
God  not  having  madenuiny  necessities  in  this  case, 
would  not,  in  the  matter  of  promise,  give  leave  to 
use  his  name,  but  when  an  extraordinary  case  hap- 
pens. An  oath  in  jMomivSes  is  of  no  use  for  ending 
questions  and  giving  judicial  sentences;  and  the 
faith  of  a  Christian  and  the  word  of  a  just  person 
will  do  most  of  the  work  of  promises;  and  it  is 
very  much  to  the  disreputation  of  our  religion  or 
ourselves,  if  we  fall  into  hypocrisy  or  deceit,  or  if  a 
Christian  asseveration  were  not  of  value  equal  with 
vol..  ir.  in 


242  OF    THE    DECALOGUE. 

an  oalh.  And  therefore  Christ,  forhidclin^  pro- 
missory oaths,  and  commanding  so  Gfreat  simplicity 
of"  spirit  and  honesty,  did  consonantly  to  the  de- 
sign and  perfection  of  his  institution,  intending  to 
make  us  so  just  and  sincere,  that  our  religion  being 
infinite  obligation  to  us,  our  own  promises  should 
pass  for  bond  enough  to  others,  and  the  re- 
ligion receive  great  honour  by  being  esteemed  a 
sufficient  security  and  instrument  of  public  inter- 
course. And  this  was  intimated  by  our  Lord  him- 
self, in  that  reason  he  is  pleased  to  give  of  llse  prohi- 
bition of  swearing:  '  Let  your  communication  be 
yea,  yea,  nay,  nay ;  for  whatsoever  is  more  cometh 
of  evil.' '  That  is,  as  good  laws  come  from  ill 
manners,  the  modesty  of  clothing  from  the  shame 
of  sin,  antidotes  and  physic  by  occasions  of  poisons 
and  diseases;  so  is  swearing  an  effect  of  distrust, 
and  want  of  faith  or  honesty,  on  one  or  both  sides. 
Men  dare  not  trust  the  word  of  a  Christian,  or  a 
Christian  is  not  just  or  punctual  to  his  promises, 
and  this  calls  for  confirmation  by  an  oalh  :  so  that 
oaths  suppose  a  fault,  though  they  are  not  faults 
always  themselves :  w  hatsoever  is  more  than  yea  or 
nay  is  not  always  evil ;  but  it  always  cometh  of 
evil.  And  therefore  the  Essenes  esteemed  every 
man  that  was  put  to  his  oath  no  better  than  an  in- 
famous pei-son,  a  perjurer,  or  at  least  suspected not 

esteemed  a  just  man.  And  the  heathens  would 
not  suffer  the  priest  of  Jupiter  to  swear,  because  all 
men  liad  great  opinion  of  his  sanctity  and  autho- 
rity: and  the  Scythians  derided  Alexander's  caution 
and  timorous  provision,  when  he  required  an  oath; 
of  them:  Xosrc.lujionem  in  ipmjiilenoc'nnus;  our  faith 

'  iMatt.  V.  37. 


or  nii;  ni.cAi.doi  k.  213 

is  our  l)(>ii<l  :  aiiri  llu'v  "lio  are  willing  to  deceive 
men,  will  not  stick  to  deceive  (iod,  when  they  have 
called  God  to  witness.'  But  I  liave  a  caution  to 
insert  for  each,  which  I  propound  as  an  humble 
advice  to  persons  eminent  and  publicly  interested. 
'2'2.  p"'irst.  That  princes,  and  such  as  have 
power  of  decreeinij  the  injunction  of  promissory 
oaths,  be  very  curious  and  reserved,  not  lij^htly  en- 
ioininjc  such  promises,  neither  in  respect  of  the 
matter  trivial,  nor  yet  frequently,  nor  without  great 
reason  enforcing.'  The  matter  of  such  promises 
must  be  only  what  is  already  matter  of  duty  or  re- 
ligion ;  for  else  ihe  matter  is  not  grave  enough  for 
the  calling  of  God  to  testimony:  but  when  it  is  a 
matter  of  duty,  then  the  oath  is  no  other  than  a 
vow  or  promise  made  to  God  in  the  presence  of 
men.  And  because  Christians  are  otherwise  very 
much  obliged  to  do  all  which  is  their  duty  in  mat- 
ters both  civil  and  religious,  of  obedience  and  piety; 
therefore  it  must  be  an  instant  necessity,  and  a  great 
cause  to  superinduce  such  a  confirmation  as  derives 
from  the  so  sacredly  invocating  the  name  of  God  : 
it  must  be  when  there  is  great  necessity  that  the 
duty  be  actually  performed,  and  when  the  supreme 
power  either  hath  not  power  sufficient  to  punish 
the  delinquent,  or  may  miss  to  have  nolice  of  the 
delict :  for  in  these  cases  it  is  reasonable  to  bind 
the  faith  of  the  obliged  persons  by  the  (ear  of  God 
afler  a  more  special  manner;  but  else  there  is  no 
reason  sufficient  to  demand  of  the  subject  any  fur- 

'  Qui  non  rcvercntur  homines,  fallcut  Deos.  Cicero  pro 
Roscio. — "  They  who  reverence  not  men  will  ik-ceive  the  gods." 

*  Oi';  yui)  TTiTnor  TtKi^iiimoi'  TTi)\vu{>Ki(i,  <i,\\u  uTri-:iac  tTi 
va(ia  roll;  tiKpooriirn.  I'hilo.  in  Decal — "  .>Iuch  swearing  w 
not  B  proof  of  truth  but  of  falsehood,  among  evil  men." 


244  OF  THE    decalGgue. 

tlier  security  than  their  own  faith  and  contract. 
The  reason  of  this  advice  relies  upon  the  strictness 
of  the  words  of  this  precept  against  promissory 
oaths,  and  the  reverence  we  owe  to  the  name  of 
God.  Oaths  of  allegiance  are  fit  to  be  imposed  in 
a  troubled  state,  or  to  a  mutinous  people.  But  it  is 
not  so  fit  to  tie  the  people  by  oath  to  abstain  from 
transportations  of  metal,  or  grain,  or  leather,  from 
•which  by  penalties  they  are,  with  as  much  security, 
and  less  suspicion  of  iniquity,  restrained. 

23.  Secondly,  Concerning  assertory  oaths  and 
depositions  in  judgment,  although  a  greater  liberty 
may  be  taken  in  the  subject-matter  of  the  oath, 
and  we  may,  being  required  to  it,  swear  in  judg- 
ment, though  the  cause  be  a  question  of  money,  or 
our  interest,  or  the  rights  of  a  society ;  and  St. 
Athanasius  purged  himself  by  oath  before  the 
emperor  Constantius ;  yet  it  were  a  great  pursu- 
ance and  security  of  this  part  of  Christian  religion, 
if  in  no  case  contrary  oaths  might  be  admitted,  in 
which  it  is  certain  one  part  is  perjured  to  the  ruin 
of  their  souls,  to  the  intricating  of  the  judgment, 
to  the  dishonour  of  religion  ;  but  that  such  rules  of 
prudence  and  reasonable  presumption  be  estab- 
lished, that  upon  the  oath  of  that  party  which  the 
law  shall  choose,  and  upon  probable  grounds  shall 
pre>ume  for,  the  sentence  may  be  established. 
For  by  a  small  probability  there  may  a  surer  judg- 
ment l)e  given,  than  upon  the  confidence  of  contra- 
dictory oaths  :  and  alter  the  sin  the  judge  is  left 
to  the  uncertainty  of  conjectures,  as  much  as  if  but 
one  part  had  sworn  ;  and  to  much  more,  because 
Buch  an  oath  is,  by  the  consent  of  all  men,  accepted 
as  a  rule  to  determine  in  judgment.  By  these  dis- 
courses we  understand  the  intention  of  our  blessed 


OK     THK    DECAI-OOLE.  215 

Master  in  tins  precept :  and  I  wish,  by  this  or  any- 
thing else,  men  would  be  restrained  from  that  low, 
cheap,  unreasonable  and  inexcusable  vice  of  cus- 
tomary swearing,  to  which  we  have  nothing  to  in- 
vite us  that  may  lessen  the  iniquity,  for  which  we 
cannot  pretend  temptation  nor  allege  infirmity, 
but  it  begins  by  recklessness  and  a  malicious 
carelessness,  and  is  continued  by  the  strength  of 
habit  and  the  greatest  immensity  of  folly.  And  I 
consider  tliat  Christian  religion,  being  so  holy  an 
institution,  to  which  we  are  invited  by  so  great 
promises,  in  whi^h  we  are  instructed  by  so  clear 
revelations,  and  to  the  performance  of  our  duties 
compelled  by  the  threatenings  of  a  sad  and  unpro- 
fitable eternity,  should  more  than  sufficiently  en- 
dear the  performance  of  this  duty  to  us.  The 
name  of  a  Christian  is  a  high  and  potent  antidote 
against  all  sin,  if  we  consider  aright  the  honour  of 
the  name,  the  undertaking  of  our  covenant,  and 
the  reward  of  our  duty.  The  Jews  eat  no  swine's 
flesh,  because  they  are  of  Moses;  and  the  Turks 
drink  no  wine,  because  they  are  Mahometans; 
and  yet  we  swear,  for  all  we  are  Christians  ;  than 
which  there  is  not  in  the  world  a  greater  convic- 
tion of  our  baseness  and  irreligion.  Is  the  autho- 
rity of  the  holy  Jesus  so  despicable  ?  Are  his 
laws  so  unreasonable,  his  rewards  so  little,  his 
threatenings  so  small,  that  we  must  needs,  in 
contempt  of  all  this,  profane  the  great  name  of 
God,  and  trample  under  foot  the  laws  of  Jesus, 
and  cast  away  the  hopes  of  heaven,  and  enter 
into  security  to  be  possessed  by  hell  torments 
for  swearing  ;  that  is,  for  speaking  like  a  fool, 
without  reason,  without  pleasure,  without  repu- 
tation,   much    to    our    disesteem,    much    to    the 


240  OF    THE    DEOALOGLE. 

trouble  of  civil  and  wise  persons  witlj   whom  we 
join  in   society  and  intercourse  >*     Certainly   liell 
will  be  heated  seven  times  hotter  for  a  customary 
swearer;  and  every  degree  of  his  unreasonableness 
will  give  him  a  new  degree   of  torment,  when   he 
shall  find  himself  in   flames  for  being  a  stupid,  an 
atlieistical,  an  irreligious  fool.     This  only  I  desire 
should  be  observed,  that  our  blessed  Master  forbids 
not  only  swearing  by  God,  but  by  any  creature ; 
for  every   oath    by   a  creature  does   involve   and 
tacitly  relate  to  God.     And  therefore  '.-iaith  Christ, 
'  Swear  not  by  heaven,  for  it  is  the  throne  of  God  ;' 
and  he  that  sweareth  by  the  throne  of  God,  '  swear- 
eth  by  it,  and  by  him  that  sitteth  thereon.'     So 
that  it  is  not  a  less  matter  to  swear  by  a  creature 
than  to  swear  by  God ;  for  a  creature  cannot  be 
the  instrument  of  testimony,  but  as  it  is  a  relative 
to  God  ;  and  it,  by  implication,  calls  the  God  of 
that  creature  to  witness.    So  that  although,  in  such 
cases  in  which  it  is  permitted  to  swear  by  God,  we 
may  in  those  cases  express  our  oath  in  the  form  of 
advocating  and  calling  the  creature ;  (as  did  the 
primitive    Christians,  swearing  by   the  health  of 
their  emperor,  and  as  Joseph,  swearing  by  the  life 
of  Pharaoh,  and  as  Elisha,  swearing  by  the  life  of 
Elias,  and  as  did   St.  Paul,  protesting  '  by  the  re- 
joicing he  had  in  Jesus  Christ,' '  and  as  we,  in  our 
forms  of  swearing  in  courts  of  judicature,  touch 
the  gospels,  saying,  '  So  help  me  God  and  the  con- 
tents of  this  book;'  and  in  a  i'ew  ages  lately  past 
bishops  and   priests   sometimes    swore    upon    the 
cross,  sometimes  upon  tlie  altar,  sometimes  by  their 
holy  order;)    yet  we  must  remember  that  this,  in 

•  2  Kings,  ii.  2  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  31. 


OF    THE    DECALOOLE.  247 

other  words  and  ceremonies,  is  but  a  calling  God 
for  witness;  and  lie  that  swears  by  the  cross, 
swears  by  tl)e  holy  crucifix;  that  is,  Jesus  crucified 
thereon.  And  therefore  these  and  the  like  forms 
are  therefore  not  to  be  used  in  ordinary  communi- 
cation, because  they  relate  to  God ;  they  are  as 
oblif;atory  as  the  immediate  invocation  of  his  holi- 
ness and  majesty :  and  it  w  as  a  Judaical  vanity  to 
think  swearing:  by  creatures  was  less  oblitrinpf. 
Tiiey  are  just  witii  the  same  restraints  made  to  be 
relig-ious  as  the  most  solemn  invocation  of  the  holy 
and  reverend  name  of  God,  lawful  or  unlawful  as 
the  other  :  unless  the  swearing'  by  a  creature 
come  to  be  si)oiled  by  some  other  intervening  cir- 
cumstance ;  that  is,  with  a  denying  it  to  relate  to 
God  ;  (or  then  it  becomes  superstition  as  well  ns 
profanation,  and  it  gives  to  a  creature  what  is 
proper  to  God  :  or  when  the  creature  is  contempti- 
ble, or  less  than  the  gravity  of  the  matter  ;  as  if  a 
man  should  swear  by  a  fly  or  the  shadow  of  a  tree: 
or  when  there  is  an  indecorum  in  the  thing,  of 
something  that  does  at  too  great  distance  relate 
to  God.  For  that  which  with  g'reatest  vicinity  refers 
to  God  in  several  religions  is  the  best  instrument 
of  an  oath,  and  nearest  to  God's  honour;  as  in 
Christianity  arc  tlie  holy  sacrament,  the  cross,  the 
altar,  and  the  gospels  :  and  therefore  too  great  a 
distance  may  be  an  inch^cency  next  to  a  disparage- 
ment. This  only  may  be  added  to  this  considera- 
tion, that  altliough  an  oatli,  w  hich  is  properlycallin^:^ 
God  or  God's  relative  into  testimony,  is  to  he. 
underetood  according  to  the  former  discourse;  yet 
there  may  be  great  affirmations  or  negations  re- 

'  Deut.  XXX.  10  ;   Isa.  i.  2;  Micah,  1.  2. 


248  OK   rm:  i>kcaluuuf.. 

spectively,  ami  confirmed  by  forms  of  vehement 
asseveration,  such  as  the  customs  of  a  nation  or 
consent  shall  agree  upon :  and  those  do  in  some 
cases  promote  our  belief  or  confirm  our  pretensions 
better  than  a  plain  yea  or  no  ;  because  by  such  con- 
sent the  person  renders  himself  infamous  if  he 
breaks  his  word  or  trust.  And  although  this  will 
not  come  under  the  restraint  of  Christ's  words, 
because  they  are  not  properly  oaths,  but  circum- 
stances of  earnest  affirmation  or  negation  ;  yet 
these  are  human  attestations,  introduced  by  custom 
or  consent ;  and  as  they  come  not  under  the  notion 
of  swearing,  so  they  are  forms  of  testimony  and 
collateral  engagement  of  a  more  strict  truth. 

24.  The  Holy  Jesus  having  specified  the  great 
commandment  of  '  loving  God  with  all  our  heart,' 
in  this  one  instance  of  hallowing  and  keeping  his 
name  sacred  ;  that  is,  from  profane  and  common 
talk,  and  less  prudent  and  unnecessary  inter- 
courses ;  instanced  in  no  other  commandment  of 
Moses  :  but  having  frequent  occasion  to  speak  ol 
the  sabbath,  for  ever  expresses  his  own  dominion 
over  the  day,  and  that  he  had  dissolved  the  bands 
of  Moses  in  this  instance ;  that  now  we  were  no 
more  obliged  to  that  rest  w  hich  the  Jews  religiously 
observed  by  prescript  of  the  law;  and  by  divers 
acts  against  securities  of  the  then  received  practices 
did  desecrate  the  day,  making  it  a  broken  yoke, 
and  the  first  great  instance  of  Christian  liberty. 
And  when  the  apostle  gave  instructions  that  '  no 
man  should  judge  his  brother  in  a  holiday,  or  new 
moons,  or  the  sabbath-days,'  he  declared  all  the  Ju- 
daical  feasts  to  be  obliterated  by  the  sponge  which 
Jesus  tasted  on  the  cross;  it  was  within  the  manu- 
script of  ordinances,  and   there  it  was  cancelled. 


Of    iHK   UKCAi.ocLi:.  249 

And  there  was  nothings  moral  in  it,  but  llial  we  do 
honour  to  God  for  the  creation,  and  to  that  and  all 
otlier  jiurposes  of  reli^non  separate  and  hallow 
some  portion  of  our  time.  Tlie  primitive  tluirch 
kept  both  the  sabbath  and  the  Lord's-day  till  the 
time  of  the  Ijaodicean  council,  about  three  hun- 
dred years  after  Christ's  nativity,  and  almost  in 
every  thing  made  them  equal ;  and  therefore  did 
not  esteem  the  Lord's-day  to  be  substituted  in  the 
place  of  the  obliterated  sabbath,  but  a  feast  cele- 
brated by  great  reason  and  perpetual  consent, 
without  precept  or  necessary  divine  injunction. 
But  the  liberty  of  the  church  was  great;  they 
found  themselves  disobliged  from  tliat  strict  and 
necessary  rest  which  was  one  great  part  of  the  sab- 
batic rites,  only  they  were  glad  of  the  occasion  to 
meet  often  for  offices  of  religion,  and  the  day 
served  well  for  the  gaining  and  facilitating  the 
convei-sion  of  the  Jews,  and  for  the  honourable  se- 
pulture of  the  synagogue,  it  being  kept  so  long, 
like  the  forty  days'  mourning  of  Israel  for  the  death 
of  their  father  Jacob :  but  their  liberty  they  im- 
j)roved  not  to  license,  but  as  an  occasion  of  more 
frequent  assemblies.  And  there  is  something  in  it 
for  us  to  imitate,  even  to  sanctify  the  name  of 
God  in  the  great  work  of  the  creation,  reading  iiis 
praises  in  the  book  of  his  creatures,  and  taking  all 
occasions  of  religious  acts  and  offices,  thougii 
in  none  of  the  Jewish  circumstances. 

25.  Concerning  the  observation  of  the  Lord's- 
day,  wliich  now  the  church  oV)serves,  and  ever  did, 
in  remembrance  of  the  resurrection,  because  it  is  a 
day  of  positive  and  ecclesiastical  institution,  it  is 
fit  that  the  church,  who  instituted  the  day,  should 
determine  the  manner  of  its  ol)servation.     It  wua 


2-50  OI      Ilir.    DFCALOOUE. 

set  apart  in  lionoiir  of  llie  resurrection  ;  and  it  were 
not  ill  i(  all  churches  would,  into  the  weekly  offices, 
put  some  memorial  of  that  mysterj^  that  the  reason 
of  the  festival  might  be  remembered  with  the  day, 
and  God  thanked  with  the  renewing'  of  the  offices. 
But  because  religion  was  the  design  of  the  feast,  and 
leisure  was  necessary  for  religion,  therefore  to  abstain 
from  suits  of  law  and  servile  works,  but  such  works 
us  are  of  necessity  and  charity,  (which  to  observe  are 
of  themselves  a  very  good  religion,)  is  a  necessary 
duty  of  the  day ;  and  to  do  acts  of  public  religion  is 
the  other  part  of  it.   So  much  is  made  matter  of  duty 
by  the  intervention  of  authority.     And  though  the 
church    hath   made  no  more   prescriptions  in  this, 
and  God  hath  made  none  at  all;  yet  he  who  keeps 
the  day  most  strictly,  most  religiously,  he  keeps  it 
best,   and   most   consonant   to   the    design  of  the 
»:hurch,  and  the  ends  of  religion,  and  the  opportu- 
nity of  the  present  leisure,  and  the  interests  of  his 
soul.     The  acts  of  religion  proper  for  the  day  are 
prayers  and    public  liturgies,  preaching,  catechis- 
ing, acts  of  charity,  visiting  sick  persons,  acts  of 
eucharist  to  God,  of  hospitality  to  our  poor  neigh- 
bours, of  friendliness  and  civility  to  all,  reconciling 
differences ;    and   after  the  public   assemblies  are 
dissolved,  any  act  of  direct  religion  to  God,  or  of 
ease  and  remission  to  servants,  or  whatsoever  else  is 
good  in  manners,  or  in  piety,  or  in  mercy.     What 
is  said  of  this  great  feast  of  the  Christians,  is  to  be 
understood  to  have  a  greater  severity  and  obligation 
in  the  anniversary  of  the  resurrection,  of  the  ascen- 
sion, of  the  nativity  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  and  of 
the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Pentecost.     And 
aill  days  festival  to  the  honour  of  God,  in   remem- 
brance of  the  holy  apostles,  and   martyrs,  and  de- 


OF    THE    DECAI.OdLH.  261 

parted  suints,  as  they  are  with  prudence  to  be 
chosen  and  retained  ])y  the  church,  so  as  not  to  be 
unnecessary,  or  burdensome,  or  useless;  so  they 
are  to  be  observed  by  us  as  instances  of  our  love  of 
the  communion  of  saints,  and  our  thankfulness  fur 
the  blessing  and  the  example. 

26.  '  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother.'  This 
commandment  Christ  made  also  to  be  Christian  hy 
his  frequent  repetition  and  mention  of  it  in  his  ser- 
mons and  laws;  and  so  ordered  it,  that  it  should  be 
the  band  of  civil  government  and  society.  In  the 
Decalogue  God  sets  this  precept  immediately  after 
the  duties  that  concern  himself,  our  duty  to  parents 
being  in  the  confines  with  our  duty  to  God ;  the 
parents  being  in  order  of  nature,  next  to  God,  the 
cause  of  our  being  and  production,  and  the  great 
almoners  of  eternity,  conveying  to  us  the  essences 
of  reasonable  creatures,  and  the  charities  of  heaven. 
And  when  our  blessed  Saviour,  in  a  sermon  to  the 
Pharisees,  spake  of  duty  to  parents,  he  rescued  it 
from  the  imj)ediments  of  a  vain  tradition,  and  se- 
curt-d  this  duty,  though  against  a  jnetence  of  reli- 
gion towards  God,  telling  us  that  God  would  not 
himself  accept  a  gift  which  we  took  from  our  pa- 
rents' needs.  Tliis  duty  to  parents  is  the  very  fir- 
mament and  band  of  commonwealths.  He  that 
lionours  his  parents  will  also  love  his  brethren  de- 
rived fiom  the  same  loins;  he  will  dearly  account 
of  all  his  relatives  and  per^^ons  of  the  same  cogna- 
tion; and  so  families  are  united,  and  of  them  cities 
and  societies  are  framed.  And  because  parents  and 
}>atriarehs  of  families  and  of  nations  had  regal 
))ower,  they,  who  bj'  any  change  succeeded  in  tiie 
care  and  government  of  cities  and  kingdoms,  suc- 
ceeded in  the  power  and  authority  of  fathers,  and 


dS2  or     IllK    1>KC\I.«»QIJE. 

became  .so,  in  esliinale  of  law  and  true  divinity,  to 
all  tlieir  people.  So  that  the  duty  here  commanded 
is  due  to  all  our  fathers  in  the  sense  of  Scripture 
and  laws  ;  not  only  to  our  natural,  but  to  our  civil 
fathers  ;  that  is,  tokings  and  governors.  And  the 
Scripture  adds  'mothers;*  for  they  also  being  in- 
struments of  the  blessing  are  the  objects  of  the  duty. 
The  duty  is, '  honour  ;'that  is,  reverence  and  support, 
if  they  shall  need  it.  And  that  which  our  blessed 
Saviour  calls,  '  not  honouring  our  parents,'  in  St. 
Matthew,"  is  called,  in  St.  Mark, '  doing  nothing  for 
them ;'  ^  and  honour  is  expounded  by  St.  Paul  to 
be  maintenance  as  well  as  reverence.^  Then  we 
honour  our  parents,  if  with  great  readiness  we  mi- 
nister to  their  necessities,  and  communicate  our 
estate,  and  attend  them  in  sicknesses,  and  supply 
their  wants,  and  as  much  as  lies  in  us,  give  them 
support,  who  gave  us  being. 

27.  '  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder.'^  So  it  was  said 
to  them  of  old  time:  '  He  that  kills  shall  be  guilty 
of  judgment;'  that  is,  he  is  to  die  by  the  sentence 
of  the  judge.  To  this  Christ  makes  an  appendix: 
*  But  T  say  unto  you,  he  that  is  angry  with  his  bro- 
ther without  a  cause,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the 
judgment.'  This  addition  of  our  blessed  Saviour, 
as  all  the  other  which  are  severer  explications  of 
the  law  than  the  Jews  admitted,  was  directed 
against  the  vain  and  imperfect  opinion  of  the  law- 
yers, who  thought  to  be  justified  by  their  external 
works,  supposing,  if  they  were  innocent  in  matter 
of  fact,  God  would  require  no  more  of  them  than 
man  did ;  and  what  by  custom  or  silence  of  the 
laws  was  not  punishable  by  the  judge,  was  harmless 

'  Matt.  XV.  0.  ■'  Mark,  vii.  12.  3  i  xim.  v.  17. 

*    Lev.  xxiv.  21  ;   Numb.  xxxv.  IC,  17. 


of     IHi:     )»K.C  VI.OOLE.  ^1 

before  (iocl.  And  lliis  luuue  tUtm  to  trust  in 
the  letter,  to  neglect  the  duties  of  repentance, 
to  omit  asking  pardon  for  their  secret  irregu- 
larities, and  the  obliquities  and  aversations  of 
their  spirits.  And  this  St.  Paul  al.so  complains 
of",  that  neglecting  '  the  righteousness  of  God,  they 
sought  to  establish  their  own ;" '  that  is,  accord- 
ing to  man's  judgment.  But  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour tells  them  that  such  an  innocence  is  not 
enough  ;  God  requires  more  than  conformity,  and 
observation  of  the  fact,  and  exterior  piety  ;  placing 
justice,  not  in  legal  innocency,  or  not  being  con- 
demned in  judgment  of  the  law  and  human  judica- 
ture, but  in  the  righteousness  of  the  spirit  also;  for 
the  first  acquits  us  before  man,  but  by  this  we 
shall  be  held  upright  in  judgment  before  the  Judge 
of  all  the  world.  And,  therefore,  besides  abstinence 
from  murder  or  actual  wounds,  Christ  forbids'  all 
anger  without  cause  against  our  brother;'  that  is, 
against  any  man. 

28.  By  w  Inch  not  the  first  motions  are  forbidden, 
the  twinklings  of  the  eye,  as  the  philosophers  call 
them  ;  the  pro-passions  and  sudden  and  irresistible 
alterations  ;  for  it  is  impossible  to  prevent  them, 
unless  we  could  give  ourselves  a  new  nature,  any 
more  than  we  can  refuse  to  wink  with  our  eye  when 
a  sudden  blow  is  offered  at  it,  or  refuse  to  yawn 
when  we  see  a  yawning  sleepy  person  :  but  by  fre- 
quent and  habitual  mortification,  and  by  continual 
watchfulness,  and  standing  in  readiness  against  all 
inadvertences,  we  shall  lessen  the  inclination,  and 
account  fewer  sudden  irreplions.  A  wise  and 
meek  person  shoulil  not  kindle  at  all,  but  after 
>  Horn.  X.  a. 


254  OF    THE    DECALOGUE. 

violent  and  great  collision;  and  then,  if  like  a  flint 
he  sends  a  spark  out,  it  must  as  soon  be  extin- 
guished as  it  shows,  and  cool  as  soon  as  sparkle. 
But,  however,  the  sin  is  not  in  the  natural  dispo- 
sition ;  but  when  we  entertain  it,  though  it  be,  as 
Seneca  expresses  it,  cum  voluntate  noii  contumact, 
without  a  determination  of  revenge,  then  it  begins 
to  be  a  sin.  Every  indignation  against  the  person 
oi  the  man,  in  us  is  pride  and  self-love,  and  towards 
otliers  ungentleness,  and  an  immorigerous  spirit. 
Which  is  to  be  understood,  when  the  cause  is  not 
.sufficient,  or  when  the  anger  continues  longer,  or  is 
excessive  in  the  degrees  of  its  proportion. 

29.  The  causes  of  allowable  anger  are,  when  we 
see  God  dishonoured,  or  a  sin  committed,  or  any 
irregularity  or  fault  in  matter  of  government;  a 
fault  against  the  laws  of  a  family  or  good  manners, 
tlisobedienceor  stubbornness;  vvl)ich  in  all  instances 
where  they  may  be  prudently  judged  such  by  the 
governor,  yet  possibly  they  are  not  all  direct  sins 
against  God  and  religion.  In  such  cases  we  maj' 
be  angry.  But  then  we  may  also  sin,  if  we  exceed 
in  time,  or  measure  of  degree. 

30.  The  proportion  of  time  St.  Paul  expresses, 
by  '  not  letting  the  sun  set  upon  our  anger.'  Leon- 
tius  Patricius  was  one  day  extremely  and  unreason- 
ably angry  with  John,  the  patriarch  of  Alexandria; 
at  evening  the  patriarch  sent  a  servant  to  him  with 
this  message,  "  Sir,  the  sun  is  set:'  upon  which 
Patricius  reflecting,  and  the  grace  of  God  making 
the  impression  deeji,  visible,  and  permanent,  he 
threw  away  his  anger,  and  became  wholly  subject 
to  the  counsel  and  ghostly  aids  of  the  patriarch. 
This  limit  St.  Paul  borrowed   from  the  Psalmist; 


OF  THl.    DIM  Ai.ooir.  255 

for  ih:\\  wliicli  in  llu-  fourth  Psalm,  verse  4,  we  read, 
'  Stand  in  awe,  and  sin  not,'  the  Septuuijint  reads, 
'  Be    angary,   hut  sin    not.'     And    this    measure  is 
taken  tVom  the  analog^y  of  the  law  of  the  .lews,  that 
a  malefactor  should   not  han<j  upon  llie  accursed 
tree  alter  the  sun  was  set.     And   if  the  laws  laid 
down  tlieir  just  ang'er  arrainst  malefactors  as  soon 
as  tiie  sun  descended,   and  took  off  his  heams  from 
beholdinp^  the  example;  much  more  is  it   reason- 
able that  a  private  anger  which  is  not  warranted 
by  authority,  not  measured  by  laws,  not  examined 
by  solemnities  of  justice,  not  made  reasonable  by 
consitlerintj  the  deij^ree  of  the  causes,   not    made 
charitable  by  intendinfrthe  public  trood,not  secured 
from  injuriousness  by  being  disinterested,  and  such 
an  anger  in  which  the  party  is  judge,  and  witness, 
and  executioner;  it  is  (I  say)  but  reason  such  an 
anger  should   unyoke  and  go  to  bed  with  the  sun, 
since  justice  and  authority  laid   by  the  rods  and 
axes   as  soon    as   the  sun   unteamed   his   chariot, 
Plutarch  re})orts,  that  the  Pythagoreans  were  strict 
observers  of  the  very  letter  of  this  caution  :  for  if 
anger  had  boiled  up  to  the  height  of  injury  or  re- 
proach, before  sun-set   they  would  shake   hands, 
salute  each   other,  and   dej)art   friends:  for  they 
were  asiiamed  that  the  same  anger  which  had  dis- 
turbed tile  counsels  of  the  day,  should  also  trouble 
the  (]uiet  and  dreams  of  the  night,  lest  anger,  by 
mingling  with  their  rest  and  nightly  fancies,  should 
grow  natural  and  haliituai.     Well,  anger  must  last 
no  longer  ;  but  neither  may  a  Christian's  anger  last 
so  long:  for  if  his  anger  last  a  whole  day,  it  will 
certainly  before  night  sour  into  a  crime.     A  man's 
anger  is  like  the  spleen  ;  at  the  first  it  is  natural, 
but  in  its  excess  aiid  distemper  it  sw«'lls  into  a  dis- 


26G  Ol     IHE    DECALOiiL'E. 

ease :  and  tlieiefore,  although  to  be  angry  at  the 
presence  of  certain  objects  is  natural,  and  therefore 
is  indifferent,  because  he  that  is  an  essential  enemy 
to  sin,  never  made  sin  essential  to  a  man  ;  yet  unless 
it  be  also  transient,  and  pass  off  at  the  command 
of  reason  and  religion,  it  quickly  becomes  criminal. 
The  meaning  is,  that  it  be  no  more  but  a  transient 
passion,  not  permanent  at  all ;  but  that  the  anger 
against  the  man  pass  into  indignation  against  the 
crime,  and  pity  of  the  person,  till  the  pity  grows 
up  into  endeavours  to  help  him:  for  an  angry,  vio- 
lent, and  disturbed  man  is  like  that  white  bramble 
of  Judaea,  of  which  Josephus  reports,  that  it  is  set  on 
fire  by  impetuous  winds,  and  consumes  itself,  and 
burns  the  neighbour-plants.  And  the  evil  effects 
of  a  violent  and  passionate  anger  are  so  great,  so 
dangerous,  so  known  to  all  the  world,  that  the  very 
consideration  of  them  is  the  best  argument  in  the 
world  to  dispute  against  it.  Families  and  king- 
doms have  suffered  horrid  calamities;  and  what- 
soever is  violent  in  art  or  nature  hath  been  made 
the  instrument  of  sadness  in  the  hands  of  anger. 

3!.  Tlie  measure  of  the  degree  is  to  be  estimated 
by  human  prudence,  that  it  exceed  not  the  value 
of  the  cause,  nor  the  proportion  of  other  circum- 
stances, and  that  it  cause  no  eruption  into  indis- 
cretions or  indecencies  :  for  therefore  Moses's  an- 
ger, though  for  God  and  religion,  was  reproved, 
because  it  went  forth  into  a  violent  and  troubled 
cxpress^ion,  and  showed  the  degree  to  be  inordinate: 
Jbr  it  is  in  tiiis  j)assion  as  in  lightning,  which,  if  it 
only  breaks  t!ie  cloud,  and  makes  a  noise,  shows  a 
tempest  and  disturbance  in  nature,  but  the  hurt  is 
none;  but  if  it  seizes  upon  a  man,  or  dwells  upon 
a  house,  or  breaks  u  tree,  it  becomes  a  judgment  and 


a  curse.  Aiul  as  the  one  is  a  mischief  in  chance 
and  accident,  so  the  other  is  in  morality  and  choice : 
if  it  passes  from  passion  into  action,  from  a  tran- 
sient vicilence  to  a  permanent  injury,  if  it  abides, 
it  scorches  the  frarment,  or  burns  the  body,  anil 
there  is  no  way  lo  make  it  innocent  but  to  remove 
and  extinjjuish  it,  and,  while  it  remains,  to  tie  the 
hands,  and  pare  the  nails,  and  muzzle  it,  that  it 
may  neither  scratch,  nor  bite,  nor  talk.  An  anger 
in  God's  cause  may  become  unhallowed  if  it  sees 
the  sun  rise  and  set :  and  an  anger  in  the  cause  of  a 
man  is  innocent  according  to  the  degrees  of  its  sud- 
tlcnness  and  discontinuance  ;  for  by  its  quickness 
and  volatile  motion  it  shows  that  it  was,  J,  unavoid- 
able in  its  production  ;  or,  2,  that  it  was  harmless 
in  the  event ;  or,  3,  quickly  suppressed  :  accord- 
ing to  which  several  cases,  anger  is  either,  1 ,  natural; 
or,  2,  excusable  ;  or,  3,  the  matter  of  a  virtue. 

32.  The  vulgar  Latin  Bible,  in  this  precept  of 
our  blessed  Saviour,  reads  not  the  appendix, 
'  without  a  cause,'  but  indefinitely,  *  he  tliat  is 
angry  with  his  brother;'  and  St.  Jerome  affirms 
that  the  clause,  '  without  a  cause,'  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  true  Greek  copies.  Upon  supposition 
of  which,  because  it  is  not  to  be  imagined  that  all 
anger  in  all  causes,  and  in  all  degrees,  is  simply 
unlawful,  and  St-  Paul  distinguishes  being  angry 
from  committing  a  sin,  '  be  angry,  but  sin  not;' 
these  words  are  left  to  signify  such  an  anger  as  is 
the  crime  of  homicide  in  the  heart,  like  the  secret 
lusting  called  by  Christ  '  adultery  in  the  heart:' 
and  so  here  is  forbidden,  not  only  the  outward  act, 
luit  the  inward  inclinations  to  murder;  th;it  is,  an 
anger  with  tleliberation  and  purj)ose  of  revenge ; 
this  being  explicative  and  additional  to  the  precept 
VOL.  II.  17 


fo8  <»r   rnK  nrcALOouE. 

forbiddintr  murder;  which  also  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour seems  to  have  intended,  by  threatening  the 
same  penalty  to  this  anger  or  spiritual  homicide 
which  the  law  inflicted  upon  the  actual  and  exter- 
nal; that  is,  judgment  or  condemnation.  And  be- 
cause this  prohibition  ofanger  is  an  explication  and 
more  severe  commentary  upon  the  sixth  command- 
ment, it  is  more  than  probable  that  this  anger,  to 
which  condemnation  is  threatened,  is  such  an  anger 
as  hath  entertained  something  of  mischief  in  the 
spirit.  And  this  agrees  well  enough  with  the  for- 
mer interpretation,  save  that  it  affirms  no  degree 
of  anger  to  be  criminal  as  to  the  height  of  condem- 
nation, unless  it  be  with  a  thought  of  violence  or 
desires  of  revenge ;  the  other  degrees  receiving 
their  heightenings  and  declensions  as  they  keep 
their  distance  or  approach  to  this.  And  besides, 
by  not  limiting  or  giving  caution  concerning  the 
cause,  it  restrains  the  malice  only,  or  the  degree ; 
but  it  permits  other  causes  of  anger  to  be  innocent 
besides  those  spiritual  and  moral,  ol' the  interests  of 
God's  glory  and  religion.  But  this  is  also  true, 
whichsoever  of  the  readings  be  retained  ;  for  the 
irascible  faculty  having  in  nature  an  object  proper 
to  its  constitution  and  natural  design,  if  our  anger 
be  commenced  upon  an  object  naturally  trouble- 
some, the  anger  is  very  natural,  and  nowhere  said 
to  be  irregular.  And  he  who  is  angry  w  ith  a  ser- 
vant's unwariness  or  inadvertency,  or  the  remiss- 
ness of  a  child's  spirit  and  application  to  his 
studies,  or  on  any  sudden  displeasure,  is  not  in  any 
sense  guilty  of  prevaricating  the  sixth  command- 
ment, unless  besides  the  object  he  adds  an  inequa- 
lity of  degree,  or  unhandsome  circumstance,  or  ad- 
junct.    And  possibly   it  is  not  in  the   nature  of 


OF    THE    DECAI.OUIE.  259 

man  to  be  strict  in  discipline,  if  the  prohibitions 
of  anoer  be  confined  only  to  causes  of  religion: 
and  it  were  hard  that  such  an  anther,  which  is  inno- 
cent in  all  eflects,  and  a  good  instrument  of  go- 
vernment, should  become  criminal  and  damnab'e 
because  some  instances  of  displeasure  are  in  ac- 
tions not  certainly  and  apparently  sinful.  So  that 
our  blessed  Saviour  forbidding  us  to  be  '  angry 
without  a  cause,'  means  such  causes  which  are  not 
only  irregularities  in  religion,  but  defections  in 
manners ;  and  an  anger  may  be  religious,  and  po- 
litical, and  economical,  according  as  it  meets  with 
objects  proper  to  it  in  several  kinds.  It  is  some- 
times necessary  that  a  man  carry  a  tempest  in  his 
face,  and  a  rod  in  his  hand  ;  but  for  ever  let  him 
have  a  smooth  mind,  or  at  least  under  command, 
and  witiiin  the  limits  of  reason  and  religion,  that 
he  may  steer  securely,  and  avoid  the  rocks  of  sin  ; 
for  tlien  he  may  reprove  a  friend  tiiat  did  amiss,  or 
chastise  an  offending  son,  or  correct  a  vicious 
servant.  The  sum  is  this:  there  are  no  other 
bounds  to  hallow  or  to  allow  and  legitimate  anger, 
but  that,  1.  The  cause  be  religion,  or  matter  of  go- 
vornnient.  2.  That  the  degree  of  the  anger  in  pru- 
dent accounts  be  no  bigger  than  the  cause.  3.  That 
if  it  goes  forth,  it  be  not  expressed  in  any  action  of 
uncharital)leness,  or  unseasonable  violence,  4. 
W  liether  it  goes  forth  or  abides  at  home,  it  must  not 
dwtill  long  any  where;  nor  abide  in  the  form  of  a 
burning  coal, but,  at  the  most.ofa  thin  flame,  thence 
passing  into  air  salutary  and  gentle,  fit  to  breathe, 
but  not  to  blast.  There  is  this  only  nicety  to  be 
observed  ;  that  although  an  anger  arising  for  reli- 
gion, or  in  tiie  matter  of  government,  cannot  inno- 
cently  al»ide  hmg,     yet  it  may  abide  till   it  hath 


2C0  OF    THK    l)ErALO(JIE. 

passed  forth  into  its  proper  and  temperate  ex- 
pression, whether  of  reprehension  or  chastisement, 
-and  then  it  must  sit  down.  But  if  the  ang-er  arises 
from  another  cause,  (provided  it  be  of  itself  inno- 
cent, not  sinful  in  the  object  or  cause,)  the  passion 
in  its  first  sprino-  is  also  innocent,  because  it  is  na- 
tural, and  on  the  sudden  unavoidable :  but  this 
must  be  su pressed  within,  and  is  not  permitted  to 
express  itself  at  all.  For  in  that  degree  in  which 
it  goes  out  of  the  mouth,  or  through  the  eyes,  or 
from  the  hand,  in  that  degree  it  is  violent,  ought  to 
be  corrected  and  restrained :  for  so  that  passion 
was  intended  to  be  turned  into  virtue.  For  this 
passion  is  like  its  natural  parent  or  instrument. 
And  if  choler  keeps  in  its  proper  seat,  it  is  an  in- 
strument of  digestion  ;  but  if  it  goes  forth  into  the 
stranger  regions  of  the  body,  it  makes  a  fever. 
And  this  anger  which  commences  upon  natural 
causes,  though  so  far  as  it  is  natural  it  must  needs 
be  innocent ;  yet  when  any  consent  of  the  will 
comes  to  it,  or  that  it  goes  forth  in  any  action  or 
voluntary  signification,  it  also  becomes  criminal. 
Such  an  anger  is  only  permitted  to  be  born  and 
die  ;  but  it  must  never  take  nourishment,  or  exer- 
cise any  act  of  life. 

33.  But  if  that  prohibition  be  indefinite,  then  it 
is  certain  the  analogy  of  the  commandment,  of 
which  this  is  an  explication,  refers  it  to  revenge  or 
malice  :  it  is  an  anger  that  is  wrath,  an  anger  of 
revenge  or  injury,  which  is  here  prohibited.  And 
I  add  this  consideration,  that  since  it  is  certain 
that  Christ  intended  this  for  an  explication  of  the 
prohibition  of  homicide,  the  clause  of  '  without 
cause'  seems  less  natural  and  proper.  ¥ov  it 
would  intimate,  that  though  anger  of  revenge  is 


OF    THK    DECALOr.tn.  261 

forbidden  when  it  is  rasli  and  unreasonable;  yet 
that  there  might  be  a  case  of  bein<j  angry  with  a 
purpose  of  revenge  and  recompense,  and  that  in 
puch  a  case  it  is  permitted  to  them  to  wiiom  in 
all  other  it  is  denied  ;  tliat  is,  to  piivate  persons : 
which  is  against  the  meel<ness  and  charity  of  the 
gospel.  More  reasonable  it  is,  that  as  no  man 
might  kill  his  brother  in  Moses's  law  by  his  own 
private  authority  ;  so  an  anger  is  here  forbidden, 
such  an  anger  which  no  qualification  can  permit  to 
private  persons;  that  is,  an  anger  with  purposes  of 
revenge. 

34.  But  Christ  adds,  that  a  further  degree  of 
this  sin  is,  when  our  anger  breaks  out  in  con- 
tumelies and  ill  language,  and  receives  its  incre- 
ment according  to  the  degree  and  injury  of  the  re- 
proach. There  is  a  homicide  in  the  tongue  as  well 
as  in  the  heart;  and  he  that  kills  a  man's  repu- 
tation by  calumnies,  or  slander,  or  open  reviling, 
hath  broken  this  commandment.  But  this  is  not 
to  be  understood  so,  but  that  persons  in  authority 
or  friends  may  reprehend  a  vicious  person  in  lan- 
guage proper  to  his  crime,  or  expressive  of  his 
malice  or  iniquity.  Christ  called  Herod  'fox:' 
and  although  St.  INIichael  brought  not  a  railing 
accusation  against  Satan,  yet  the  Scripture  calls 
him  an  accuser,  and  Christ  calls  him  the  father  of 
lies,  and  St.  Peter,  a  devourer  and  a  roaring 
lion  ;  and  St.  John  calls  Diotreplios  a  lover  of 
preeminence,  or  ambitious.  But  that  which  is 
hwre  forbidden,  is  not  a  representing  the  crimes  of 
the  man  for  his  emendation,  or  any  other  cha- 
ritable or  religious  end  ;  but  a  reviling  him  to  do 
him  mischief,  to  murder  his  reputation.  Which 
also  shows,  that  whatc\er  is  here  forbid<len,  is  in 


2(i2  OF    THE    UKCALOGUt:. 

some  sense  or  other  atcounted  lioniicide  ;  the  anger 
in  order  to  reproach,  and  l)olh  in  order  to  murder, 
subject  to  the  same  punishment,  because  forbidden 
in  the  same  period  of  the  hivv  :  save  only  that,  ac- 
cording- to  the  degrees  of  the  sin,  Christ  propor- 
tions several  degrees  of  punishment  in  the  other 
world,  which  he  apportions  to  the  degrees  of  death 
which  had  ever  been  among  the  Jews  ;  viz.  the 
sword,  and  stoning  to  death,  which  were  punish- 
ments legal  and  judicial;  and  the  burning  infants 
in  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  which  was  a  barbarous 
and  superstitious  custom  us«d  formerly  by  their 
fathers,  in  imitation  of  the  PWaenician  accursed 
rites. 

35.  The  remedies  against  anger,  which  are  pre- 
scribed by  masters  of  spiritual  life,  are  partly 
taken  from  rules  of  prudence,  partly  from  piety 
and  more  precise  rules  of  religion.  In  prudence, 
1.  Do  not  easily  entertain,  or  at  all  encourage,  or 
willingly  hear,  or  promptly  believe  tale-bearers  and 
reporters  of  other  men's  faults  :  for  oftentimes  we 
are  set  on  fire  by  an  ipiis  fatims,  a  false  flame,  and 
an  empty  story.  2.  Live  with  peaceable  people, 
if  thou  canst.  3.  Be  not  inquisitive  into  the  mis- 
demeanours of  others,  or  the  reports  which  are 
made  of  you.  4.  Find  out  reasons  of  excuse  to 
alleviate  and  lessen  the  ignorances  of  a  friend,  or 
carelessnesses  of  a  servant.  5.  Observe  what  ob- 
ject is  aptest  to  inflame  thee,  and  by  special  arts 
of  fortification  stop  up  the  avenues  to  that  part  :  if 
losses,  if  contempt,  if  incivilities,  if  slander,  still 
make  it  the  greatest  part  of  your  employment  to 
subdue  the  im potency  of  that  passion  that  is  more 
aj)t  to  raise  tempests.  6.  Extirpate  petty  curiosi- 
ties of  apparel,  lodging,  diet,  and  learn  to  be  indif- 


OF    THE    I>KCALOGUE.  '26.y 

ferent  in  circumstances ;  and  if  you  he  apt  to  be 
transported  with  such  little  thinjjs,  do  some  great 
thing  that  shall  cut  otV  their  frequent  intervening. 
7.  Do  not  multiply  secular  ciires,  and  trouljlesome 
negociations,  which  have  variety  of  conversation 
nith  several  humours  of  men  and  accidents  of 
things  ;  but  frame  to  thyself  a  life  simple  as  thou 
canst,  and  free  from  all  affectations.  8.  Sweeten 
thy  temper  and  allay  the  violence  of  thy  spirit 
witli  some  convenient,  natnral,  tempenite,  and  me- 
dicinal solaces;  for  some  dispositions  we  have  seen 
inflamed  into  anger,  and  often  assaulted  by  peevish- 
ness, through  immoderate  fasting  and  inconvenient 
austerities.  P.  A  gentle  answer  is  an  excellent 
remora  to  the  progresses  of  anger,  whether  in  thyself 
or  others  :  for  anger  is  like  the  waves  of  a  troubletl 
sea  ;  when  it  is  corrected  with  a  soft  reply,  as  w  ith 
a  little  strand,  it  retires,  and  leaves  nothing  behind 
it  but  froth  and  shells,  no  permanent  mischief.  10. 
Silence  is  an  excellent  art :  and  that  was  the  advice 
which  St.  Isaac,  an  old  religious  person  in  the 
primitive  church,  is  rejiorted  to  have  followed,  to 
suppress  his  anger  vrithin  his  breast,  and  use  what 
means  he  could  there  to  strangle  it;  but  never 
|>ermitting  it  to  go  forth  in  language:  anger  antl 
lust  l>eing  like  fire,  which  if  you  enclose,  suffering 
it  to  have  no  emission,  it  perishes  and  dies;  but 
give  it  the  smallest  vent,  and  it  rages  to  a  con- 
sumption of  all  it  readies.  And  this  advice  is  co- 
incident with  the  general  rule  which  is  prescrilied 
in  all  temptations,  that  anger  be  suppressed  in  its 
cradle  and  first  assaults.  II.  liastly,  let  every 
man  be  careful  that  in  bis  repentance  or  in  his 
;^eal,  or  his  religion,  he  be  as  (b'spassionate  and 
free   from   anger   ••vs   is    possible;   lest   an'jrer  pass 


^64  OF    THE  DECALOGUE. 

upon  him  in  a  reflex  act,  whicli  was  rejectecl  in 
the  direct.  Some  mortifiers,  in  their  contestation 
against  ana^er,  or  any  evil  or  troublesome  |)rinciple, 
are  like  criers  of  assizes,  who  culling  for  silence 
make  the  greatest  noise  ;  they  are  extremely  angry 
when  they  are  fighting  against  the  habit  or  violent 
inclinations  to  anger. 

36.  But  in  the  way  of  more  strict  religion  it  is 
advised,  1.  That  he  who  would  cure  his  anger 
should  pray  often.  It  is  St.  Austin's  counsel  to 
the  bishop  Auxilius,  that,  like  the  apostles  in  a 
storm,  we  should  awake  Christ,  and  call  to  him 
for  aid,  lest  we  shipwreck  in  so  violent  passions  and 
impetuous  disturbances.  2.  Propound  to  thyself 
tlie  example  of  meek  and  patient  persons  :  remem- 
bering always  that  there  is  a  family  of  meek  i»aints, 
of  which  Moses  is  the  precedent,  a  family  of  patient 
saints,  under  the  conduct  of  Job.  Every  one  in 
the  mountain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  gathered  to  his 
own  tribe,  to  his  own  family,  in  the  great  day  of 
jubilee  :  and  the  angry  shall  perish  with  the  effects 
of  anger;  and  peevish  persons  shall  be  vexed  with 
the  disquietness  of  an  eternal  worm  and  sting  of 
u  vexatious  conscience,  if  they  suffer  here  the 
transportations  and  saddest  effects  of  an  unmorti- 
fied,  habitual,  and  prevailing  anger.  3.  Above  all 
things  endeavour  to  be  humble,  to  think  of  thyself 
as  thou  deservest;  that  is,  meanly  and  unworthily  : 
and  in  reason  it  is  to  be  presumed  thou  wilt  be 
more  patient  of  wrong,  quiet  under  affronts  and  in- 
juries, susceptive  of  inconveniences,  and  apt  to 
entertain  all  adversities,  as  instruments  of  humilia- 
tion, deleteries  of  vice,  corrections  of  indecent  jxis- 
feions,  and  instruments  of  virtue.  4.  All  the  reason, 
and   all    the  relations,    and   all  tlie  necessities  of 


or  Tin    DKi  \i.i>r.t  E.  26-5 

niuiikind  are  daily  ar'j;;iinients  ajiainst  tlie  violences 
and  inonlinations  of  anjjjer.  For  lie  that  would 
not  have  his  reason  confounded,  or  his  discourse  use- 
less, or  his  family  he  a  den  of  lions  ;  he  that  would 
not  have  his  marriage  a  daily  duel,  or  his  society 
troulilesome,  or  his  friendship  formidable,  or  his 
feasts  liitter ;  he  that  delights  not  to  liavc  his  dis- 
cipline cruel,  or  his  government  tyrannical,  or  his 
disputations  violent,  or  his  civilities  unmannerly, 
or  his  charity  be  a  rudeness,  or  himself  brutish  as 
a  bear,  or  peevish  as  a  fly,  or  miserable  upon  every 
accident,  and  in  all  the  changes  of  his  life,  must 
mortify  his  anger.  For  it  concerns  us  as  much  as 
peace,  and  wisdom,  and  nobleness,  and  charity,  and 
felicity  are  worth,  to  be  at  peace  in  our  breasts, 
and  to  be  pleased  with  all  God's  providence,  and 
to  be  in  charity  with  every  thing, and  with  every  man. 
37,  '  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.'  These 
two  commandments  are  immediate  to  each  other, 
and  of  the  greatest  cognation  :  for  anger  and  lust 
work  upon  one  subject ;  and  the  same  fervours  of 
blood  which  make  men  revengeful,  will  also  make 
men  unchaste.  But  the  prohibition  is  repeated  in 
the  words  of  the  old  commandment ;  so  *  it  was  said 
to  them  of  old  :'  which  was  not  only  a  prohibition 
of  the  violation  of  the  rites  of  marriage,  but  was, 
even  among  the  Jews,  extended  to  signify  all  mix- 
ture of  sexes  not  matrimonial.  For  adultery  in 
Scripture  is  sometimes  used  to  signify  fornication, 
and  fornication  for  adultery ;  as  it  is  expressed  in 
the  permissions  of  divorce  in  the  case  of  fornica- 
tion :  and  by  Moses's  law  fornication  also  was  for- 
bidden, and  it  was  hated  also  and  reproved  in  the 
natural.     But  it  is  very  probable  that  ihis  precept 


26'b  OF    THE    DECALOGUE, 

was  restrained  only  to  the  instance  of  adullerj  in 
the  proper  sense ;  that  is,  violation  of  marriaoe  ; 
for  Moses  did,  in  other  annexes  of  the  law,  forbid 
fornication.     And   as   a  blow  or  wound  was  not 
esteemed  in  Moses's  law  a  breach  of  the  sixth  com- 
mandment, so  neither  was  any  thing  but  adultery 
esteemed  a  violation  of  the  seventh  by  very  many 
of  their  own  doctors;  of  which  I  reckon  this  a  suffi- 
cient probation,  because   they   permitted  stranger 
virgins  and  captives  to  fornicate ;   only   they  be- 
lieved it  sinful  in  the  Hebrew  maidens.    And  when 
two  harlots  pleaded  before  Solomon,  for  the  bastard 
child,  he  gave    sentence   of   their    question,    but 
nothing  of  their  crime.     Strangers   with  the  Her 
brews  signified   many  times  harlots,  because  they 
were  permitted  to  be  such,  and  were  entertained  to 
such  purposes.     But  these  were  tlie  licences  of  a 
looser  interpretation ;   God  having  to  all  nations 
given  sufficient  testimony  of  his  detestation  of  all 
coneubinate  not  hallowed  by  marriage  :   of  which 
among  the  nations  there  was  abundant  testimony, 
in  that  the  harlots  were  not  permitted  to  abide  in 
the   cities,  and   wore   veils  in  testimony   of  their 
shame  and  habitual  indecencies  ;  which  we  observe 
in  the  story  of  Thamar,'  and  also  in  Chrysippus. 
7Vnd  although  it  passed   without  punishment,  yet 
never  without  shame,   and    a   note   of  turpitude. 
And  the  abstinence  from  fornication  was  one  of  the 
])recepts  of  Noah,  to  which   the  Jews  obliged    the 
stranger-proselytes,  who  were   only   proselytes  of 
tlie  house  :  and  the  apostles  enforced  it  upon  the 
Gentiles  in  their  first  decree  at  Jerusalem,  as  re- 

'  (len,  xxviii.  tl- 


C»F     IlIK    DKCALOGt'E. 


267 


newing  an  old  stock  of  precepts  and  obligations,  in 
which  all  the  converted  and  religious  Gentiles  did 
communicate  witli  the  Jews. 

38.  To  this  Christ  added,  that  the  eyes  must  not 
be  adulterous :  his  disciples  must  not  only  abstain 
from  the  act  of  unlawful  concubinate,  but  from  the 
impurer  intuition  of  a  wife  of  another  man  ;  so,  ac- 
cording to  the  design  of  his  whole  sermon,  opposing 
the  righteousness  of  the  spirit  to  that  of  the  law,  or 
of  works,  in  which  the  Jews  confided.  Christians 
must  have  chaste  desires,  not  indulging  to  them- 
selves a  liberty  of  looser  thoughts ;  keeping  the 
threshold  of  their  temples  pure,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  observe  nothing  imclean  in  the  entry  of 
his  habitiition.  For  he  that  lusts  after  a  woman, 
wants  nothing  to  the  consummation  of  the  act  but 
some  convenient  circumstances;  which,  because 
they  are  not  in  our  power,  the  act  is  impeded,  but 
nothing  of  the  malice  abated.  But  so  severe  in  this 
was  our  blessed  Master,  that  he  commanded  us 
rather  to  put  our  eyes  out,  than  to  suffer  them 
to  become  an  offence  to  us  ;  that  is,  an  inlet  of 
sin,  or  an  invitation  or  transmission  of  impurity : 
by  putting  our  eyes  out,  meaning  the  extinction  of 
all  incentives  of  lust,  the  rejection  of  all  opportu- 
nities and  occasions,  the  quitting  all  conditions  of 
advantage  which  ministers  fuel  to  this  hell-fire. 
And  V)y  this  severity  we  must  understand  all  be- 
ginnings, temptations,  likenesses,  and  insinuations 
and  minutes  of  lust  and  impurity  to  l»e  forbifhlen 
to  Christians;  such  as  are  all  morose  delectations 
in  vanity,  wanton  words,  gestures,  balls,  revellings, 
wanton  diet,  garish  and  lascivious  dressings  and 
trimmings   of  the  body,  looser  banquetings ;  all 


268  OF    THE    DECALOGLE. 

'making  provisions  for  the  flesh  to  fulfil  the  lust 
of  it,'  all  lust  of  concupiscence,  and  all  '  lust  of  the 
eye,'  and  all  lust  of  the  hand,  unclean  contacts,  are 
to  be  rescinded  ;  all  lust  of  the  tongue  and  palate, 
all  surfeiting  and  drunkenness.  For  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  keep  the  spirit  pure,  if  it  be  exposed  to  all 
the  entertainment  of  enemies.  And  if  Christ  for- 
bade the  wanton  eye,  and  placed  it  under  the  prohi- 
bition of  adultery,  it  is  certain,  whatsoever  minis- 
ters to  that  vice,  and  invites  to  it,  is  within  the 
same  restraint ;  it  is  the  eye,  or  the  hand,  or  the  foot 
that  is  to  be  cut  off.  To  this  commandment  fastings 
and  severe  abstinences  are  apt  to  be  reduced,  as 
being  the  proper  abscission  of  the  instruments  and 
temptations  of  lust,  to  which  Christ  invites  by  the 
mixed  proposition  of  threatening  and  reward  ;  for 
better  it  is  to  go  to  heaven  w  ith  but  one  eye  or  one 
foot,  that  is,  with  a  body  half  nourished,  than  with 
full  meals  and  an  active  lust  to  enter  into  hell. 
And  in  this  our  blessed  Lord  is  a  physician  rather 
than  a  lawgiver  ;  for  abstinence  from  all  impure, 
concubinate,  and  morose  delectations,  so  much  as 
in  thought,  being  the  commandment  of  God,  that 
Christ  bids  us  retrench  the  occasions  and  insinua- 
tions of  lust;  it  is  a  facilitating  the  duty,  not 
a  new  severity,  but  a  security  and  caution  of  pru- 
dence. 

39.  '  Thou  shalt  not  steal.'  To  this  precept 
Christ  added  nothing,  because  God  had  already  in 
the  Decalogue  fortified  this  precept  with  a  restraint 
upon  the  desires  ;  for  the  tenth  commandment 
forbids  all  coveting  of  our  neighbour's  goods.  For 
the  wife  there  reckoned,  and  forbidden  to  be  de- 
sired from  another  man,  is  not  a  restraint  of  libidi- 


OF    THE    UECALOGfE.  269 

nous  appetite,  but  of  the  covetous  ;  it  being  ac- 
counted part  of  wealth  to  have  a  numerous  family, 
many  wives,  and  many  servants.  And  this  also 
God,  by  the  prophet  Nathan,  upbraided  to  David, 
as  an  instance  of  David's  wealth,  and  God's  libe- 
rality. But  yet  this  commandment  Christ  adopted 
into  his  law,  it  beinj;  prohibited  by  the  natural  law, 
or  the  law  of  right  reason  ;  commonwealths  not 
being  able  to  subsist  without  distinction  of  do- 
minion, nor  industry  to  be  encouraged  but  by  pro- 
priety, nor  families  to  be  maintained  but  by  de- 
fence of  just  rights  and  truly  purchased  possessions. 
And  this  prohibition  extends  to  all  injustice, 
whether  done  by  force  or  fraud  ;  whether  it  be  by 
ablation,  or  prevention, or  detaining  of  rights;  any 
thing  in  which  injury  is  done  directly  or  obliquely 
to  our  neighbour's  fortune. 

40.  '  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness.'  That 
is,  thou  shalt  not  answer  in  judgment  against  thy 
neighbour  falsely;  which  testimony  in  the  law  was 
given  soh^mnly  and  by  oath,  invoking  the  name  of 
God.  '  I  adjure  thee  by  God  that  thou  tell  us 
whether  thou  be  the  Christ,'  said  the  high-priest 
to  the  blessed  Jesus;  that  is,  speak  upon  thy  oath: 
and  then  he  told  them  fully,  though  they  made  it 
the  pretence  of  murdering  him,  and  he  knew  they 
would  do  so.  Confessing  and  witnessing  truth  is 
giving  glory  to  God  ;  but  false  witness  is  high  in- 
justice, it  is  inhumanity  and  treason  against  the 
(juietness,  or  life,  or  possession  of  a  just  person  ;  it 
is  in  itself  irregular  and  unreasonable,  and  there- 
fore is  so  forbidden  to  Christians,  not  only  as  it  is 
unjust,  but  as  it  is  fiilse.  For  a  lie  in  communi- 
cation and  private  converse  is  also  forl)idden,  as 
well  as  unjust  testimony.     *  Let  every  man  speak 


270  OF    THE    DEOALUOUE. 

truth  with  his  neighbour ;' '  that  is,  in  private  so- 
ciety. And  whether  a  lie  be  in  jest  or  earnest, 
when  the  purpose  is  to  deceive  and  abuse,  though 
in  the  smallest  instance,  it  is  in  that  degree  crimi- 
nal as  it  is  injurious.  I  find  not  the  same  affinned 
in  every  deception  of  our  neighbours,  wherein  no 
man  is  injured,  and  some  are  benefited  ;  the  error  of 
the  affirmation  being  nothing  but  a  natural  irregu- 
laritj^  nothing  malicious,  but  very  charitable.  I 
find  no  severity  superadded  by  Christ  to  this  com- 
mandment, prohilaiting  such  discourse,  which, 
without  injury  to  any  man,  deceives  a  man  into 
piety  or  safety.  But  this  is  to  be  extended  no 
further :  in  all  things  else  we  must  be  severe  in 
our  discourses,  *  neither  lie  in  a  great  matter  nor  a 
small,  for  the  custom  thereof  is  not  good,'saith  the 
son  of  Sirach.  I  could  add,  concerning  this  pre- 
cept, that  Christ  having  left  it  in  that  condition  he 
found  it  in  the  Decalogue,  without  any  change  or 
alteration  of  circumstance,  we  are  commanded  to 
give  true  testimony  in  judgment;  which  because  it 
was  under  an  oath,  there  lies  upon  us  no  prohibi- 
tion, but  a  severity  of  injunction,  to  swear  truth  in 
judgment  when  we  are  required.  The  securing  of 
testimonies  was  V)y  the  sanctity  of  an  oath,  and 
this  remains  unaltered  in  Christianity. 

41.  '  Thou  shalt  not  covet.'  This  command- 
ment we  find  nowhere  repeated  in  the  gospel 
by  our  blessed  Saviour  ;  but  it  is  inserted  in  the  re- 
petion  of  the  second  table,  which  St.  Paul  mentioned 
to  the  Romans.  For  it  was  so  abundantly  ex- 
pressed in  the  inclosure  of  other  precepts,  and  the 
whole  design  of  Christ's  doctrines,  that  it  was  less 
needful  specially  to  express  that  which  is  every 
»  Kphes.  iv.  25. 


Ul     nil.     OIK  AlOC.tK  271 

where  adixecl  to  many  precejils  evana;elical.  Par- 
ticularly it  is  inherent  in  the  first  heatitude,  'Bfessed 
are  the  poor  in  spirit:'  and  it  means,  that  we 
should  not  wish  ourneighbour's  g(X)ds  with  a  deli- 
berate entertained  desire,  but  that  u[)on  the  coni- 
inencenient  of  the  motion  it  be  disbanded  in- 
stantly ;  for  he  that  does  not  at  the  first  address 
and  incitement  of  tlie  passion  suppress  it,  he  hath 
given  it  that  entertainment  which,  in  every  period 
of  staying,  is  a  dej^ree  of  morose  delectation  in  the 
appetite:  and  to  this  I  find  not  Christ  added  any 
thing;  for  the  law  itself,  forbidding  to  entertain 
the  desire,  hath  commanded  the  instant  and  pre- 
sent suppression  :  they  are  the  same  thing,  and 
cannot  reasonably  be  distinguished.  Now  that 
Christ,  in  the  instance  of  adultery,  hath  commanded 
to  abstain  also  from  occasions  and  accesses  towards 
the  lust,  in  this  is  not  the  same  severity ;  because 
the  vice  of  covetousness  is  not  such  a  wild-fire  as 
lust  is,  not  inflamed  by  contact  and  neighbour- 
hood of  all  things  in  the  world.  Every  thing  may 
be  instrumental  to  libidinous  desires,  but  to  covet- 
ous appetites  there  are  not  temptations  of  so  dif- 
ferent natures. 

42.  Concerning  the  order  of  these  command- 
ments, it  is  not  unusefully  observed,  that,  if  v.e 
account  from  the  first  to  the  last,  they  are  of  great- 
est j)erfection  which  are  last  described  ;  and  he  who 
is  arrived  to  tliat  severity  and  dominion  of  himself 
as  not  to  desire  liis  neigiibour's  goods,  is  very  far 
from  actual  injury,  and  so  in  proportion  ;  it  being 
the  least  degree  of  religion  to  confess  but  One  God. 
But,  therefore,  vices  are  to  take  their  estimate  in 
the  contrary  order  :  he  that  prevaricates  the  first 
commandment  is  the  greatest  sinner  in  the  world; 


272  '»*■     IHE    UECALUOL'K. 

and   the  least  is  lie  that  only  covets  without  an 
actual  injustice.     And  there  is  no  variety  or  objer 
tion  in  this,  unless  it  be  altered  by  the  accidentii 
difference  of  degrees ;  but  in  the  kinds  of  sin  th 
rule  is  true.     This  only  ;  the  sixth  and  seventh  are 
otherwise  in  the  Hebrew  Bibles  than  ours,  and  in 
the  Greek   otherwise  in  Exodus  than  in  Deutero- 
nomy :  and  by  this  rule  it  is  a  greater  sin  to  com- 
mit adultery  than  to  kill ;  concerning  which    we 
have  no  certainty,  save  that  St.  Paul,  in  one  re- 
spect, makes  the  sin  of  uncleanness  the  greatest  of 
any  sin,  whose  scene  lies  in  the  body  ;  '  every  sin 
is  without  the  body  ;  but  he  that  commits  fornica- 
tion, sins  against  his  own  body.' 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  Jesus,  wisdom  of  thy  Fatlier,  thou  light  of  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  and  the  great  Master  of  the  world,  who,  by  thy  holy 
sermons  and  clearest  revelations  of  the  mysteries  of  thy  Father's 
kingdom,  didst  invite  all  the  world  to  great  degrees  of  justice, 
purity,  and  sanctity,  instruct  us  all  in  a  holy  institution,  give  us 
understanding  of  thy  laws  ;  that  the  light  of  thy  celestial  doctrine 
illuminating  our  darknesses,  and  making  bright  all  the  recesses 
of  our  spirits  and  understandings,  we  may  direct  our  feet,  all  the 
lower  man,  the  affections  of  the  inferior  appetite,  to  walk  in  the 
paths  of  thy  commandments.  Dearest  God,  make  us  to  live  a 
life  of  religion  and  justice,  of  love  and  duty  ;  that  we  may  adore 
thy  majesty,  and  reverence  thy  name,  and  love  thy  mercy,  and 
admire  thy  infinite  glories  and  perfections,  and  obey  thy  precepts. 
Alake  us  to  love  thee  for  thyself,  and  our  neighbours  for  thee: 
make  us  to  be  .ill  love  and  all  duty  ;  that  we  may  adorn  the 
gospel  of  thee  our  Lord,  walking  worthy  of  our  vocation  ;  that,  as 
thou  hast  called  us  to  be  thy  disciples,  so  we  may  walk  therein, 
doing  the  work  of  faithful  servants,  and  may  receive  the  adop- 
tion of  sons,  and  the  gift  of  eternal  glory,  which  thou  hast  re- 
served for  all  the  disciples  of  thy  holy  institution.    Make  all  the 


OF    FuRGIVIN<i     ISJlinK"^.  *J73 

x:0'\<X  obey  thee  as  a  prophet ;  that,  being  redeemetl  and  purl« 
fied  by  thee,  our  High-priest,  all  may  reign  with  thee,  our  King, 
in  t"iy  eternal  kingdom,  ()  eternal  Jesus,  wisdom  of  thy  Father. 
Amen. 


DISCOURSE  XT. 

Of  the  three  additional  Precepts  which  Christ  super- 
induced and  made  Parts  of  the  Christian  Law : — 
Of  Charity,  with  its  Parts,  forgiving,  giving,  not 
judging. 

PART  I. 

Of  Forgiveness. 

1.  The  holy  Jesus  coming  to  reconcile  all  the 
world  to  God,  would  reconcile  all  the  parts  of 
the  world  one  with  another,  that  they  may  re- 
joice in  their  common  band  and  their  common 
salvation.  The  first  instance  of  charity  forbade  to 
Christians  all  revenge  of  injuries:  which  was  a 
perfection  and  endearment  of  duty  beyond  what 
either  most  of  the  old  philosophers,  or  the  laws  of 
tlie  nations,  or  of  Moses  ever  practised  or  enjoined.' 

'  Plutarchus  tamen  multa  praeclara  dicit  de  charitate  erga 
inimicos.    Simplicitati  et  magnanimitati  atque  bonitati  plus  loci 

hie  est  quiim  in  amicitiis Oblaia  occasioneulciscendi  inimi- 

cum,  eum  niissum  facere  wquanimitatis  est.  Qui  vero  miseratur 
inimicum  afflictum,  et  openi  fcrt  indigcnti,  et  filiis  ejus  ac  fanii- 
liiE  adverse  ipsorum  tempore  operani  suam  studiumque  defert, 
hunc  qui  non  amat,  huic  jjettus  atrum  est  atque  adaniantinum, 
6iC.     De  cap  ex  inim.  utilit. 

Kt  Cicero  dixit  Ciesari ;  Pompeii  staliias  restituendo,  tuas 
dehxisti. 

Justitiie  primum  munus  c-.l.  ut  ni-  cui  noceas,  nisi  lacessitiu 
injuria.     Cic.  de  Ortic. 

VOL.   II.  18 


274  OF    FORGIVING    IVJl'RIFS. 

For  revenge  was  esteemed,  to  unhnllowedj  un- 
christian natures,  as  sweet  as  life,  a  satisfaction  of 
injuries,  and  the  only  cure  of  maladies  and  affronts. 
Only,  laws  of  the  wisest  commonwealths  com- 
manded that  revenge  should  be  taken  by  the  judge: 
a  few  cases  being  excepted,  in  which,  by  sen- 
tence of  the  law,  the  injured  person  or  his  nearest 
relative  might  be  the  executioner  of  the  vengeance  : 
as  among  the  Jews,  in  the  case  of  murder ;  among 
the  Romans,  in  the  case  of  an  adulteress,  or  a 
ravished  daughter,  the  father  might  kill  the  adul- 
teress or  the  ravisher.  In  other  things,  the  judge 
only  was  to  be  the  avenger.  But  Christ  com- 
manded his  disciples,  rather  than  take  revenge,  to 
expose  themselves  to  a  second  injury;  rather  offer 
the  other  cheek,  than  be  avenged  for  a  blow  on 
this:  '  for  vengeance  belongs  to  God,''  and  he  will 
retaliate.  And  '  to  that  wrath  we  must  give  place,* 
saith  St.  Paul ;  that  is,  in  well-doing  and  evil-suf- 
fering, commit  ourselves  to  his  righteous  judgment, 
leaving  room  for  his  execution,  who  will  certainly 
do  it,  if  we  snatch  not  the  sword  from  his  arm. 

2.  But  some  observe,  that  our  blessed  Saviour 
instanced  but  in  smaller  injuries.  He  that  bade 
us  suffer  a  blow  on  the  cheek,  did  not  oblige  us 
tamely  to  be  sacrificed :  he  that  enjoined  us  to  put 
up  the  loss  of  our  coat  and  cloak,  did  not  signify 
his  pleasure  to  be,  that  ue  should  offer  our  family 
to  be  turned  out  of  <loors,  and  our  whole  estate 
aliened  and  cancelled  ;  especially  we  being  other- 


Exod.  xxi.  23;  Levit.  xxiv.  20;  Deut.  xix.  21. 

Idcirco  judiciorusn  vigor,  junsque  public!  tutela  videtur  in 
medio  constituta,  ne  quisquam  sibi  ipsi  permittere  valeat  ultio> 
nem.     Honor,  et  Theod.  in  Cod.  Theodoi. 

'  Rom.  xii.  19. 


OF    ruIlGIVING    INJLItlES.  27,"j 

wise  obliged  to  provide  for  lliem,  under  the  pain  of 
the  curse  of  infidelity.     And  indeed  there  is  mucli 
reason  our  defences  may  be  extended,  when   the 
injuries  are  too  great  for  our  sufferance;  or  that 
our  defence  bring  no  greater  damage  to  the  other 
than  we  divert   from   ourselves.     But  our  blessed 
Saviour's  prohibition  is  instanced  in   such  small 
particulars,  which  are  no  limitations  of  the  general 
precept,  but  particulars  of  common  consideration. 
'  But  I  say  unto  you,  resist  not  evil;'  so  our  Eng- 
lish Testament   reads  it:  but  the   word    signifies, 
*  avenge  not  evil;''  and  it  binds  us  to  this  only, 
that  we  be  not  avengers  of  the  wrong,  but  ratiier 
suffer  twice,  than  once  to  be  avenged.     He  that  is 
struck  on  the  lace  may  run  away,  or  may  divert  the 
blow,  or  bind  the  hand  of  his  enemy;  and  he  whose 
coat  is  snatched  away  may  take  it  again,  if  without 
injury  to  the  otlier  he  may  do  it.     We  are  some- 
times bound  to  resist  evil :  every   clearing  of  our 
innocence,  refuting  of  calumnies,  quitting  ourselves 
of  reproach,  is  a  resisting  evil ;  but  such  which  is 
hallowed  to  us  by  the  example  of  our  Lord  him- 
self and  his  a])nstles.     But  this  precept  is  clearly 
expounded  by  St.  Paul, '  Render  not  evil  for  evil;'* 
that  is,  be  not  revenged.     You  may  either  secure 
or  restore  yourselves  to  the  condition  of  your  own 
possessions  or  fame,  or  preserve  your  life,  provided 
that  no  evil  be  returned  to  him  that  offers  the  in- 
jury.    For  so  sacred  are  the  laws  of  Christ,  so  holy 
and  great  is  his  example,  so  much  hath  he  endear- 
ed us  who  were  his  enemies,  and  so  frequently  and 

•  M^  avTi'^Fivai  ry  novijpt^  sumitur  sensu  generali  proomm 
retaliatione. 

*  Rotn.  xii,  17- 


270  OY    ll)liCilVl.N<i    IN.MJRIKS. 

severely  hatli  he  preached  iiiul  enjoined  forgive- 
ness, that  he  who  knows  not  to  forgive,  knows  not 
to  be  like  a  Christian,  and  a  disciple  of  so  gentle  a 
master. 

3.  So  that  the  smallness  or  greatness  of  the  in- 
stance alters  not  the  case  in  this  duty :  in  the 
greatest  matters  we  are  permitted  only  to  an  inno- 
cent defence ;  in  the  smallest  we  may  do  so  too. 
I  may  as  well  hold  my  coat  fast  as  my  gold,  and  I 
may  as  well  hide  my  goods  as  run  away  ;  and  that 
is  a  defence.  And  if  my  life  be  in  danger,  I  must 
do  no  more  but  defend  myself.  Save  only  that 
defence  in  case  of  life  is  of  a  larger  signification 
than  in  case  of  goods.  I  may  wound  my  enemy, 
if!  cannot  else  be  safe  ;  I  may  disarm  him,  or  in 
any  sense  disable  him;  and  this  is  extended  even 
to  a  liberty  to  kill  him,  if  my  defence  necessarily 
stands  upon  so  hard  conditions.  For  although  [ 
must  not  give  him  a  wound  for  a  wound,  because 
that  cannot  cure  me,  but  is  certainly  revenge ;  yet 
when  my  life  cannot  be  otherwise  safe  than  by 
killing  him,  I  have  used  that  liberty  which  nature 
hath  permitted  me,  and  Christ  hath  not  forbidden, 
who  only  interdicted  revenge,  and  forbade  no  de- 
fence which  is  charitable  and  necessary,  and  not 
blended  with  malice  and  anger.  And  it  is  as  much 
charity  to  preserve  myself  as  him,  w  hen  I  fear  to 
die. 

4.  But  although  we  find  this  nowhere  forbidden, 
yet  it  is  very  consonant  to  the  excellent  mercy  of 
the  gospel,  and  greatly  laudable,  if  we  choose  ra- 
ther to  lose  our  life,  in  imitation  of  Christ,  than 
save  it  by  the  loss  of  another's,  in  pursuance  of  the 
permissions  of  nature.  When  nature  only  gives 
leave,  and   no  lawgiver  gives  command  to  defend 


our  lives,  and  llie  excellence  o(  CliiistKinily  highly 
coiiiniends  dyinj^  for  our  enemies,  .-tnd  jjroDonnds 
to  our  imitation  the  [greatest  example  that  ever 
could  be  in  tlie  world  ;  it  is  a  very  gvtuxt  imperfec- 
tion, if  we  choose  not  rather  to  obey  an  insinuation 
of  the  holy  Jesus,  than  with  greediness  and  ap- 
petite pursue  the  bare  permissions  of  nature.  But 
in  this  we  have  no  necessity.  Only  this  is  to  be 
read  with  two  cautions  :  1.  So  long  as  the  assault- 
ed person  is  in  actual  danger,  he  must  use  all  arts 
and  subterfuges  which  his  wit  or  danger  can  sup- 
ply him  with ;  as  passive  defence,  flight,  arts  of 
diversion,  entreaties,  soft  and  gentle  answers,  or 
whatsoever  is  in  its  kind  innocent,  to  prevent  his 
sin  and  my  danger;  tiiat  when  he  is  forced  to  his 
last  defence,  it  may  be  certain  be  had  nothing  of 
revenge  mingled  in  so  sad  a  remedy.  2.  That  this 
be  not  understood  to  be  a  permission  to  defend  our 
lives  against  an  angry  and  unjust  prince.  For  if 
my  lawful  prince  should  attempt  my  life  with  rage, 
or  with  the  abused  solemnities  of  law;  in  the  first 
case  the  sacredness  of  his  person  ;  in  the  second, 
the  reverence  and  religion  of  authority,  are  his  de- 
fensatives,  and  immure  him,  and  bind  my  hands, 
that  I  must  not  lift  them  up,  but  to  heaven,  for  my 
own  defence  and  his  pardon. 

5.  But  the  vain  pretences  of  vainer  persons  have 
here  made  a  question  w  here  there  is  no  scruple : 
and  if  I  may  defend  my  life  with  the  sword,  or 
witii  any  thing  which  nature  and  the  laws  forbid 
not,  why  not  also  mine  honour,  which  is  as  dear  as 
life,  which  makes  my  life  without  contempt,  useful 
to  my  friend,  and  comfortable  to  n)yself  ?  For  to 
be  reputed  a  coward,  a  baffled  person,  and  one  that 
will  take  affronts,  is  to  l)e  miserable  and  scorned. 


278  OF    DL'EI.S. 

and  to  invite  all  insolent  persons  to  do  me  injuiiea. 
May  I  not  be  permitted  to  figlit  for  mine  honour, 
and  to  wipe  off  the  stains  of  my  reputation  ? 
Honour  is  as  dear  as  life,  and  sometimes  dearer. 
To  this  I  have  many  things  to  say.  For  that  which 
men  in  this  question  call  honour,  is  nothing  but  ti 
reputation  amongst  persons  vain,  unchristian  in 
their  deportment,  empty  and  ignorant  souls,  who 
count  that  the  standard  of  honour  which  is  the  in- 
strument of  reprobation ;  as  if  to  be  a  gentleman 
were  to  be  no  Christian.  They  that  have  built 
their  reputation  upon  such  societies,  must  take 
new  estimates  of  it,  according  as  the  wine,  or 
fancy,  or  custom,  or  some  great  fighting  person 
shall  determine  it ;  and  whatsoever  invites  a  quar- 
rel, is  a  rule  of  honour.  But  then  it  is  a  s:id  con- 
sideration to  remember,  that  it  is  accounted  honour 
not  to  recede  from  any  thing  we  have  said  or  done. 
It  is  honour  not  to  take  the  lie  ;  in  the  meantime 
it  is  not  dishonourable  to  lie  indeed,  but  to  be  told 
so:  and  not  to  kill  him  that  says  it,  and  venture 
my  life  and  his  too,  that  is  a  forfeiture  of  reputa- 
tion. A  mistress's  favour,  an  idle  discourse,  a  jest, 
a  jealousy,  a  health,  a  gaiety,  any  thing  must  en- 
gage two  lives  in  hazard,  and  two  souls  in  ruin ; 
or  else  they  are  dishonoured.  As  if  a  life,  which 
is  so  dear  to  a  man's  self,  which  ought  to  be  dear 
to  others,  which  all  laws  and  wise  princes  and 
states  have  secured  by  the  circumvallation  of  laws 
and  penalties,  which  nothing  but  heaven  can  re- 
compense for  the  loss  of,  which  is  the  breath  of 
God,  whicli  to  preserve  Christ  died,  the  Son  of 
God  died,  as  if  this  were  so  contemptible  a  thing, 
that  it  must  be  ventured  for  satisfaction  of  a  vicious 
person,  or  a  vain  custom,  or  such  a  folly  which  a 


OF  nuELS.  279 

wise  and  a  severe  person  had  rather  die  than  be 
puilty  of.  Honour  is  from  him  that  honours. 
Now  certainly  God  and  the  kiui;-  are  the  fountains 
of  honour:  riglit  reason  and  reli_t;ion,  the  Scripture 
and  the  laws,  are  the  best  rules  of  estimating  ho- 
nour. And  if  we  offer  to  account  our  honours  by 
the  senseless  and  illiterate  discourses  of  vain  and 
vicious  persons,  our  honour  can  be  no  greater  than 
the  fountain  from  whence  it  is  derivative :  and  at 
this  rate  Harpaste,  Seneca's  wife's  fool,  might  have 
declared  Thersites  an  honourable  person ;  and 
every  bold  gladiator  in  a  Roman  theatre,  or  a 
fighting  rebel  among  the  slaves  of  Sparta,  or  a 
trooper  of  Spartacus's  guard,  might  have  stood 
upon  their  honour  upon  equal  and  as  fair  a  chal- 
lenge. Certainly  there  is  no  greater  honour  than 
to  be  like  the  holy  Jesus,  and  he  is  delectable  in 
the  eyes  of  God,  and  so  are  all  his  relatives  and 
followers,  by  participation  of  his  honour;  and  no- 
thing can  be  more  honourable  than  to  do  wise  and 
excellent  actions,  according  to  the  account  of  di- 
vine and  human  laws;  and  if  either  God  or  the 
king  can  derive  honour  upon  their  subjects,  then 
whatsoever  is  contrary  to  that  which  they  honour, 
must  needs  be  base,  dishonourable,  and  inglorious. 
0.  But  if  we  be  troubled  for  fear  of  new  and 
succeeding  injuries,  and  will  needs  fight,  and  as 
much  as  lies  in  us  kill  our  brother  to  prevent  an 
injury  ;  nothing  can  be  more  unworthy  of  a  Chris- 
tian, nothing  can  be  more  inliuman.  Cato,  plead- 
ing in  tlie  Roman  senate  in  the  behalf  of  the  Rho- 
dian  ambassadors,  who  came  to  beg  peace  of  the 
commonwealth,  which  had  entertained  an  anger 
and  some  thoughts  of  war  against  them,  upon  pre- 
tence   that    the   Rhodians    w^mld   war   with   them 


280  OF    DUELS. 

when  they  duistj  iliiicoursed  severeiy  and  |n-adently 
against  such  unreasonable  purposes.  And  the 
life  of  men  and  the  interest  of  states  is  not  like  the 
trade  of  fencers,  whose  lot  is  to  conquer  if  they 
strike  first,  to  die  if  they  be  prevented.  Man's  life 
is  not  established  upon  so  unequal  and  unreason- 
able necessities,  that  either  we  must  first  do  an  in- 
jury, or  else  it  is  certain  we  must  receive  a  mis- 
chief. God's  providence  and  care  in  his  government 
of  the  world  is  more  vigilant  and  merciful,  and  he 
protects  persons  innocent  and  just  in  all  cases  :  ex- 
cept when  he  means  to  make  an  injury  the  instru- 
ment of  a  grace,  or  a  violent  death  to  be  the  gate  of 
glory.  It  was  not  ill  answered  of  Merope  to  king 
Polyphonies,  who  therefore  killed  his  brother,  be- 
cause he  had  entertained  a  purpose  to  have  killed 
him  :  "  You  should  only  have  done  the  same  injury 
to  him  which  he  did  to  you;  you  should  still  have 
had  a  purpose  to  kill  him:"  for  his  injustice 
went  no  further;  and  it  is  hard  to  requite  ill  and 
uncertain  purposes  with  actual  murder,  especially 
when  we  are  as  much  secured  by  the  power  of 
laws,  as  the  whole  commonwealth  is  in  all  its 
greatest  interests.  And  therefore  for  Christians  to 
kill  a  man  to  prevent  being  baflBed  or  despised,  is 
to  use  an  extreme  desperate  remedy,  infinitely 
painful  and  deadly;  to  prevent  a  little  griping  in 
the  belly,  foreseen  as  possible  to  happen,  it  may  be, 
three  years  after.  But  besides,  this  objection  sup- 
|)Oses  a  disease  almost  as  earnestly  to  be  cured 
as  this  of  tlie  main  question  ;  for  it  represents  ;i 
man  keeping  company  with  lewd  and  debauched 
persons,  spending  his  time  in  vanity,  drunken  so- 
cieties, or  engaged  in  lust,  or  placing  his  scene 
amongst  persons  apt  to  do  aflVonts  and  unworthy 


Of    UtELS  -.vSl 

misdemeanors:  and  indeed  an  affront,  an  injury,  a 
blow,  or  a  loud  disgrace  is  not  llie  consequence  of 
not  fig^hting,  but  a  punishment  for  engaging  in 
loose,  baser,  and  vicious  company.  If  the  gallants 
of  the  age  would  find  an  honest  and  a  noble  employ- 
ment, or  would  be  delicate  in  the  choice  of  their 
friends  and  company,  or  would  be  severe  in  taking 
accounts  of  themselves  and  of  their  time,  would 
live  as  becomes  persons  wise  and  innocent,  that  is 
like  Christians,  they  would  soon  perceive  them- 
selves removed  far  from  injuries,  and  yet  further 
from  trouble,  when  such  levities  of  mischance  or 
folly  should  intervene.  But  suppose  a  man  af- 
fronted or  disgraced,  it  is  considerable  whether  the 
man  deserve  it  or  no;  if  he  did,  let  him  entertain 
it  for  his  punishment,  and  use  it  for  an  instrument 
of  correction  and  humility  :  if  he  did  not,as  an  in- 
stance of  fortitude,  and  despite  of  lower  things. 
But  to  venture  lives  to  abolish  a  past  act,  is  mad- 
ness, unless  in  both  those  lives  there  was  not  good 
enough  to  be  esteemed  greater  and  of  better  value, 
than  the  light  affront  had  in  it  of  misery  and  trou- 
ble. Certainly  those  persons  are  very  unfortunate, 
in  whose  lives  much  more  j)leasure  is  not,  than 
there  is  mischief  in  a  light  blow  or  a  lighter 
affront,  from  a  vain  or  an  angry  person.  But  sup- 
pose there  were  not,  yet  how  can  fighting  or  killing 
n)y  adversary  wipe  off  my  aspersion,  or  take  off  my 
blow,  or  prove  that  I  did  not  lie  ?  For  it  is  but  an 
ill  argument  to  say,  If  I  dare  kill  him,  then  I  did 
not  lie  ;  or,  If!  dare  fight,  then  he  struck  me  not; 
or,  If  I  dare  \'enture  damnation,  then  I  am  an  ho- 
nourable person.  And  yet  further,  who  gave  me 
))ower  over  my  own  life,  or  over  the  life  of  another, 
that  I  shall  venture  mv  own,  and  offer  to  take  his? 


282  OF    DUELS. 

God  and  God's  vicegerent  only  are  the  lords  of 
lires:  who  made  us  judg^es,  and  princes,  or  gods? 
And  if  we  be  not  such,  we  are  murderers  and  vil- 
lains. When  Moses  would  have  parted  the  duellists 
that  foucjht  in  Egypt,  the  injurious  person  asked 
him,  '  Who  made  thee  a  judge  or  ruler  over  us  ? 
Wilt  thou  kill  me,  as  thou  didst  the  Egyptian  yes- 
terday ?'  meaning,  he  had  no  power  to  kill,  none  to 
judge  of  life  and  death,  unless  he  had  been  made 
a  ruler-  Yea,  but  flesh  and  blood  cannot  endure  a 
blow  or  a  disgrace.  Grant  that  too  ;  but  take  this 
into  the  account,  *  flesh  and  l)lood  shall  not  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  God.'  And  yet  besides  this,  those 
persons  have  but  a  tender  stock  of  reason,  and  wis- 
dom, and  patience,  who  have  not  discourse  enough 
to  make  them  bear  an  injury,  which  the  philosophy 
of  the  Gentiles,  without  the  light  of  Christianity, 
taught  them  to  tolerate  with  so  much  equanimity 
and  dispassionate  entertainment.  That  person  is  not 
a  man,  who  knows  not  how  to  suffer  the  inconve- 
nience of  an  accident,  and  indiscretion  of  light  per- 
sons :  or  if  he  could  not,  yet  certainly  that  is  a  mad 
impatience,  when  a  man,  to  remedy  the  pain  of  a 
drop  of  scalding  water,  shall  drench  himself  in  the 
liquid  flames  of  pitch  and  a  bituminous  bath. 

7.  Truth  is,  to  fight  a  duel  is  a  thing  that  all 
kingdoms  are  bound  to  restrain  with  highest  seve- 
rity :  it  is  a  consociation  of  many  the  worst  acts 
that  a  person  ordinarily  can  be  guilty  of:  it  is 
want  of  charity,  of  justice,  of  humility,  of  trust  in 
God's  providence  ;  it  is  therefore  pride,  and  mur- 
der, and  injustice,  and  infinite  unreasonableness; 
and  nothing  of  a  Christian,  nothing  of  excuse,  no- 
thing of  honour  is  in  it,  if  God  and  wise  men  be 
admitted  judges  of  the  lists.     And  it  would  be  con- 


OF    DUELS.  283 

sideied,  that  every  one  who  fights  a  duel,  must 
reckon  himself  as  dead  or  dying  :  (for  however  any 
man  flulteis  himself,  by  saying  he  will  not  kill  if 
he  could  avoid  it ;  yet  rather  than  be  killed  he  will, 
and  to  the  danger  of  being  killed  his  own  act  ex- 
poses him,)  Now,  is  it  a  good  posture  for  a  man 
to  die  witli  a  sword  in  his  hand,  thrust  at  his  bro- 
ther's breast,  with  a  purpose  either  explicit  or  im- 
plicit to  have  killed  him  ?  Can  a  man  die  twice, 
that  in  case  he  miscarries,  and  is  damned  for  the 
first  ill  dying,  he  may  mend  his  fault,  and  die  bet- 
ter the  next  time  ?  Can  his  vain,  imaginary,  and 
fantastic  shadow  of  reputation,  make  him  recom- 
pcnce  for  the  disgrace  and  confusion  of  face,  and 
pains  and  horrors  of  eternity  ?  Is  there  no  such 
thing  as  forgiving  injuries,  nothing  of  the  discipline 
of  Jesus  in  our  spirits?  Are  we  called  by  the 
name  of  Christ,  and  have  nothing  in  us  but  the 
spirit  of  Cain,  and  Nimrod,  and  Joab  ?  If  neither 
reason  nor  religion  can  rule  us,  neither  interest  nor 
safety  can  determine  us,  neither  life  nor  eternity 
can  move  us,  neither  God  nor  wise  men  be  suffi- 
cient judges  of  honour  to  us  ;  then  our  damnation 
is  just,  but  it  is  heavy  ;  our  fall  is  certain,  but  it  is 
cheap,  base,  and  inglorious.  And  let  not  the  vani- 
ties, or  the  gallants  of  the  world  slight  this  friendly 
monition,  rejecting  it  with  a  scorn,  because  it  talk- 
eth  like  a  divine  :  it  were  no  disparagement  if 
they  would  do  so  too,  and  believe  accordingly;  an<l 
they  would  find  a  better  return  of  honour  in  the 
crowns  of  eternity,  by  talking  like  a  divine,  than  by 
dying  like  a  fool ;  by  living  in  imitation  and  obedi- 
ence to  the  laws  of  tiie  holy  Jesus,  than  by  perish- 
ing, or  committing  murder,  or  by  attempting  it,  or 
by  venturing  it,  like  a  weak,  impotent,  passionate. 


2«4  OF    LAWSl'lTS. 

and  brutish  person.  Upon  this  chapter  it  is  some- 
times asked,  whether  a  virgin  may  not  kill  a  ra- 
visher  to  defend  her  chastity.  Concerning  which, 
as  we  have  no  special  and  distinct  warrant,  so  there 
is,  in  reason  and  analogy  of  the  gospel,  much  for  the 
negative :  for  since  his  act  alone  cannot  make  her 
criminal,  and  is  no  more  than  a  wound  in  my 
body,  or  a  civil  or  a  natural  inconvenience  ;  it  is 
unequal  to  take  a  life  in  exchange  for  a  lesser  in- 
jury, and  it  is  worse  that  I  take  it  myself.  Some 
great  examples  we  find  in  story,  and  their  names 
are  remembered  in  honour  :  but  we  can  make  no 
judgment  of  them,  but  that  their  zeal  was  reprov- 
able  for  its  intemperance,  though  it  had  excellency 
in  the  matter  of  the  passion. 

8.  But  if  we  may  not  secure  our  honour,  or  be 
revenged  for  injuries  by  the  sword,  may  we  not 
crave  the  justice  of  the  law,  and  implore  the  ven- 
geance of  the  judge,  who  is  appointed  *  for  ven- 
geance against  evil-doers  ?'  And  the  judge  being 
the  king's  officer,  and  the  king  God's  vicegerent,  it 
is  no  more  than  imploring  God's  hand  ;  and  that  is 
'  giving  place  to  wrath,'  which  St.  Paul  speaks  of; 
that  is,  permitting  all  to  the  divine  justice.  To 
this  I  answer,  that  it  is  not  lawful  to  go  to  law  for 
every  occasion  or  slighter  injury,  because  it  is  very 
distant  from  the  mercies,  forgiveness,  and  gentle- 
ness of  a  Christian,  to  contest  for  trifles  :  and  it  is 
certain,  that  the  injuries,  or  evil,  or  charges  of  trou- 
ble and  expense  will  be  more  vexatious  and  afflict- 
ive to  the  person  contested,  than  a  small  instance 
of  wrong  is  to  the  person  injured.  And  it  is  a  great 
intemperance  of  anger  and  impotence  of  spirit,  a 
covetousness  and  impatience,  to  appeal  to  the  judge 
foi"  determination  concerning  a  lock  of  camels-hair 


OF    LAWSUIT?*.  285 

or  a  gout's  beard  ;  T  mean,  any  thing  that  is  less 
than  the  ;i^i"avity  of  laws,  or  the  solemnity  of  a 
court,  and  that  does  not  outweigh  the  inconveni- 
ences of  a  suit.  But  this  we  are  to  consider  in 
the  expression  of  our  blessed  Saviour:  '  If  a  man 
will  sue  thee  at  the  law,  and  take  tiiy  cloak,  let  him 
have  thy  coat  also.' '  Wliich  words  are  a  particular 
instance  in  pursuit  of  t'  e  general  precept,  '  resist 
not,'  or  'avenge  not  evil.'  The  primitive  Christians 
(as  it  happens  in  the  first  fervours  of  a  discipline) 
were  sometimes  severe  in  observation  of  the  letter, 
not  subtly  distinguishing  counsels  from  precepts, 
but  swallowing  all  the  words  of  Christ  without 
chewing  or  discrimination.  They  abstained  from 
tribunals,  unless  they  were  forced  thither  by  perse- 
cutors ;  but  went  not  thither  to  repeat  their  goods. 
And  if  we  consider  suits  of  law,  as  they  are  wrap- 
ped in  circumstances  of  action  and  practice,  with 
how  many  subtleties  and  arts  they  are  managed,  how 
pleadings  are  made  mercenary,  and  that  it  will  be 
hard  to  find  right  counsel  that  shall  advise  you  to 
desist  if  your  cause  be  wrong,  (and  therefore  there 
is  great  reason  to  distrust  every  question,  since,  if 
it  be  never  so  wrong,  we  shall  meet  advocates  to 
encourage  us  and  plead  for  it,)  what  danger  of 
miscarriages,  of  uncharitableness,  an^cr,  and  ani- 
mosities, what  desires  to  prevail,  what  care  and 
fearfulness  of  the  event,  what  innumerable  temp- 
tations do  intervene,  how  many  sins  are  secretly  in- 
sinuated in  our  hearts  and  actions  !  If  a  suit  were 
of  itself  never  so  lawful,  it  would  concern  the 
duty  of  a  Christian  to  avoid  it,  as  he  prays 
against  temptations,  and  cuts  off  the  opportunities 

<  Matt  r.  40. 


286  Ol    LAWSUITS. 

of  a  sii).  It  is  not  liiwlul  for  a  Christian  to  sue  hia 
brother  at  the  hnv,  unless  he  can  be  patient  if  he 
loses,  and  charitable  if  he  be  wronged,  and  can 
prosecute  his  end  without  any  mixture  of  covetous^ 
ness,  or  desires  to  prevail,  without  envy,  or  can  be- 
lieve himself  wrong  when  his  judge  says  he  is,  or 
can  submit  to  peace  when  his  just  cause  is  op- 
pressed, and  rejected,  and  condemned,  and  without 
pain  or  regret  can  sit  down  by  the  loss  of  his  right, 
and  of  his  pains,  and  his  money.  And  if  he  can 
do  all  this,  what  need  he  go  to  law  ?  He  may 
with  less  trouble  and  less  danger  take  the  loss 
singly,  and  expect  God's  providence  for  reparation, 
than  disentitle  himself  to  that  by  his  own  froward- 
ness,  and  take  the  loss  when  it  comes  laden  with 
many  circumstances  of  trouble. 

9.  But  however  by  accident  it  may  become  un- 
lawful to  go  to  law  in  a  just  cause,  or  in  any,  yet 
by  this  precept  we  are  not  forbidden.  To  go  to 
law  for  revenge  we  are  simply  forbidden  ;  that  is, 
to  return  evil  for  evil ;  and  therefore  all  those  suits 
which  are  for  vindictive  sentences,  not  for  repara- 
tive, are  directly  criminal.  To  follow  a  thief  to 
death  for  spoiling  my  goods,  is  extremely  unrea- 
sonable and  uncharitable  :  for  as  there  is  no  pro- 
portion between  my  goods  and  his  life,  (and  there- 
fore I  demand  it  to  his  evil  and  injury,)  so  the 
putting  him  to  death  repairs  not  my  estate  :  the 
first  makes  it  in  me  to  be  unjust,  the  latter  declares 
me  malicious  and  revengeful.  If  I  demand  an  eye 
for  an  eye,  his  eye  extinguished  will  not  enlighten 
mine;  and  therefore  to  prosecute  him  to  such  purr 
poses,  is  to  resist  or  render  evil  with  evil,  directly 
against  Christ's  sermon.  But  if  the  postulation  of 
Kcntence  be  in  order  only  to  restore  myself,  we  find 


Of    LAWSUITS.  287 

it  permitted  liy  St.  Paul,  who,  wlien  for  tlie  scan- 
flal's  sake,  he  forbade  '  poing  to  law  before  unbe- 
lievers,' and  for  the  danger  and  temptation's  sake, 
and  the  latent  inejifularity  which  is  certainly  ap- 
pendant to  ordinary  litigations,  he  is  angry  inde- 
finitely with  them  that  go  to  law;  yet  he   adviseth 
that  Christian    arbitrators    be   appointed    for  de- 
cision   of    emergent    questions.      And     therefore, 
Avhen  the  supreme  authority  hath   appointed  and 
regularly  established    an    arbitrator,    tlie   permis- 
sion is  the  same.      St.  Paul  is  angry  that  among 
Christians   there  should  be  suits,  but  it  is  there- 
fore he   is   chiefly    angry   because  Christians  do 
wrong:  they  who   should  rather  suffer  wrong,  yet 
that  they  should  do  it,  and  defraud  their  brother, 
which  in  some  sense  enforces  suits;  that  is  it  he 
highly  blames.     But  when  injustice  is  done,  and 
u  man  is  in  a  considerable  degree  defrauded,  then 
it  is  permitted  to  him   to  repeat  his   own   before 
Christian    arbitrators,  whether   chosen   by   private 
consent  or  public  authority  ;  for  that  circumstance 
makes  no  essentia]  alteration  in  the  question.     But 
then  this  must  be  done  with  as  much   simplicity 
and  unmingled  design  as  is  possible;  witiiout  any 
desire  of  rendering  evil  to  the  person  of  the  offen- 
der, without  arts  of  heightening  the  charge,  wiihout 
prolongation,  devices,  and  arts  of  vexation,  without 
anger   and  animosities;    and  then,  although  acci- 
dentally  there    is   some   aj)pendant  charge  to  the 
offen<ling  person,  that  is  not  accounted   upon  the 
stock  of  revenge,  because  it  was  not  designed,  and 
is  not  desired,  and  is   cared    for   to   prevent  it  as 
much  as  may  l>e,  and  therefore  ofttr  was  made  of 
private  and  unchargeable  arbitrators :  and  this  be- 
ing refusotl,  the  charge  and  accidental  evil,  if  it  be 
less  tlian    the   loss  of  my   sufferance   and   injury. 


288  or  LAWSUITS. 

must  be  reckoned  to  the  necessity  of  affairs,  and 
put  upon  the  stock  oF  liis  injustice,  and  will  not 
affix  a  guilt  upon  the  actor.  I  say,  this  is  true, 
when  the  actur  hath  used  all  means  to  accord  it 
without  charge,  and  when  he  is  refused,  manages 
it  with  as  little  as  he  can,  and  when  it  is  nothing 
of  his  desire,  but  something  of  his  trouble,  that  he 
cannot  have  his  own  without  the  lesser  accidental 
evil  to  the  offender,  and  that  the  question  is  great 
and  weighty  in  its  proportion,  then  a  suit  of  law  is 
of  itself  lawful.  But  then  let  it  be  remembered 
how  many  ways  afterwards  it  may  become  unlavv- 
fal,  and  I  have  no  more  to  add  in  this  article,  but 
the  saying  of  the  son  of  Sirach  :  '  He  that  loves 
danger  shall  perish  in  it.*  And  certainly  he  had 
need  be  an  angel  that  manages  a  suit  innocently : 
and  he  that  hath  so  excellent  a  spirit  as  with  inno- 
cence to  run  through  the  infinite  temptations  of  a 
lawsuit,  in  all  probability  hath  so  much  holiness 
as  to  suffer  the  injury,  and  so  much  prudence  as  to 
avoid  the  danger.  And  therefore  nothing  but  a 
%'erj'  great  defalcation  or  ruin  of  a  man's  estate  will, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  justify  such  a  con- 
troversy. When  the  man  is  put  to  it  so  that  he 
cannot  do  some  other  duty  without  venturing  in 
this,  then  the  grace  of  God  is  sufficient  for  him : 
but  he  that  enters  lightly  shall  walk  dangerously, 
and  a  thousand  to  one  but  he  will  fall  foully.  '  It 
is  utterly  a  fault  among  you,'  said  St.  Paul,  '  be- 
cause ye  go  to  law  one  with  another."  It  is  not 
always  a  crime,  but  even  a  fault  and  an  irregularity, 
a  recession  from  Christian  perfection,  and  an  enter- 
taining of  a  danger;  which  though  we  escape 
through,  yet  it  was  a  fault  to  liave  entered  into  it, 

'  Cor.  vi.  7.  '0,\«.iv  i'l'rtjfiftf  nol  7ra^<aTWf^a• 


<)i    I. An  SLITS.  289 

when  ue  niii;lil  have  avoided  it.  And  even  then, 
wlien  it  is  lawful  for  us,  it  is  not  expedient:'  for 
so  the  apostle  sums  up  iiis  reprehension  concernin;^ 
Christians  pjinfr  to  law.  We  must '  rather  take 
wrono-,  rather  sufftr  ourselves  to  be  defrauded;'* 
and  when  we  cannot  bear  the  burden  of  tlie  loss, 
llien  indeed  we  are  permitted  to  appeal  to  Christian 
judges:  but  then  there  are  so  many  cautions  to  l)e 
observed,  tliat  it  may  be  the  remedy  is  worse  than 
llie  disease.  I  only  observe  this  one  thing,  that 
St.  Paul  permits  it  only  in  the  instance  of  defraud- 
ation, or  matter  of  interest;  such  as  are  defendin<^ 
of  widows,  and  orpiians,  and  ciiurches;  which,  in 
estimation  of  law,  are,  by  way  of  fiction,  reckoned 
to  be  in  pupilage  and  minority;  add  also  repeating 
our  own  interests,  when  our  necessities,  or  the  sup- 
port of  our  family  and  relatives,  requires  it :  for  all 
these  are  cases  of  charity  or  duty  respectively.  But 
besides  the  matter  of  defraudation,  we  find  no  in- 
stance expressed,  nor  any  equality  and  parallel  of 
reason  to  permit  Christians  in  any  case  to  go  to 
law  :  because  in  other  things  the  sentence  is  but 
vindictive,  and  cannot  repair  us;  and  therefore  de- 
manding justice  is  a  rendering  evil  in  the  proper 
matter  of  revenge;  concerning  which  I  know  no 
scruple  but  in  an  action  of  scandal  and  ill  report. 
But  because  an  innocent  and  an  lioly  life  will  force 
light  out  of  darkness,  and  humility  and  patience  and 
waiting  uj)on  God  will  bring  glory  out  of  shame, 
I  suppose  he  who  goes  to  law  to  regain  his  credit, 
attempts  the  cure  by  incompetent  remedies.  If  the 
accusation  be  public,  tlie  law  will  call  him  to  au 
account;  and  then  he  is  upon  his  defence,  and  must 

'    1  (.'or,  vi.  IJ.  *   lb.  VIT--C  7- 

VOL,    ll.  13 


2!>0  OF    LAWSUITS. 

acquit  himself  with  meekness  and  Ssincerity :  but 
this  allows  not  him  to  be  the  actor,  for  then  it  is 
rather  a  design  of  revenge,  than  a  proper  deletery 
of  his  disgrace,  and  the  purgative  of  the  calumny. 
For  if  the  accusation  can  be  proved,  it  was  no  ca- 
lumny ;  if  it  be  not  proved,  the  person  is  not  al- 
ways innocent ;  and  to  have  been  accused,  leaves 
something  foul  in  his  reputation :  and  therefore  he 
that  by  law  makes  it  more  public,  propagates  iiis 
own  disgrace,  and  sends  his  shame  further  than  his 
innocence,  and  the  crime  will  go  whither  his  abso- 
lution shall  not  arrive. 

10.  If  it  be  yet  further  questioned,  whether  it  be 
I'iwful  to  pray  for  a  revenge,  or  a  punishment  upon 
the  offender;  (I  reckon  them  all  one  :  he  that  prays 
for  punishment  of  him  that  did  him  j)ersonal  in- 
jury, cannot  easily  be  supposed  to  separate  the 
j)unishment  from  his  own  revenge;)  I  answer,  that 
jilthoiigh  God  be  the  avenger  of  all  oar  wrongs,  yet 
it  were  fit  for  us  to  have  the  affections  of  brethren, 
not  the  designs  and  purposes  of  a  judge,  but  leave 
them  to  him  to  whom  they  are  proper.  When  in 
the  bitterness  of  soul  an  oppressed  person  curses 
sadly,  and  prays  for  vengeance,  the  calamity  of  the 
man,  and  the  violence  of  his  enemy  hasten  a  curse, 
and  ascertain  it.  But  whatever  excuses  the  great- 
ness of  the  oppression  may  make  1  know  not; 
but  the  bitterness  of  the  spirit,  besides  that  it  is 
])itiable  as  it  is  a  passion,  yet  it  is  violent  and 
less  Christian,  as  it  is  active  and  sends  forth 
j)rayers.  '  Woe'  is  pronounced  '  to  them  by 
whom  the  offence  comelh;'  yet  we  mu^t  'be- 
ware of  offences,'  because  by  them  we  are  en- 
gaged in  a  sin :  and  he  tiiat  prays  for  a  re- 
venge, halh   a  revengeful  spirit,  huwevcr  it  l)e  re- 


OF    ALMS.  291 

strained  by  .aus  and  exterior  tendernesses  from 
ncting-  such  dire  j)urposes.  And  he  that  prays  for 
revenge,  may  indeed  procure  a  justice  to  be  done 
upon  the  injurious  person;  but  oftentimes  it  hap- 
j)ens  then  to  fall  on  him  when  we  least  wish  it, 
when  we  also  have  a  conjunct  interest  in  tlie  other's 
preservation  and  escape:  God  so  punisiiing-  the 
first  wron;;,  that  we  also  may  smart  for  our  uncha- 
ritable wishes.  For  the  ground  of  all  this  dis- 
course is,  tiiat  it  is  part  of  Christian  charity  to  for- 
give injuries:  which  forgiveness  of  the  injury,  al- 
though it  may  reasonably  enough  stand  with  my 
fair  and  innocent  requiring  of  my  own,  wliich  goes 
no  further  tlian  a  fair  repetition ;  yet  in  no  case 
can  it  stand  with  tlie  acting  and  desiring  revenge, 
which  also,  in  the  formality  of  revenge,  can  have  no 
pretence  of  charity,  because  it  is  ineffective  to  my 
restitution.  This  discourse  concerns  private  per- 
sons; whether  it  concern  the  question  of  war,  and 
how  far,  is  not  proper  for  this  consideration. 


P  A  R  T    I  I. 

Of  Aims. 

1  But  Christian  charity  hath  its  efiect  also  in 
benefits  as  well  as  geiitlcnt'ss  and  innocence.  *  Give 
to  him  that  asketh,  and  from  him  that  would 
borrow  of  thee,  turn  not  thou  away.  But  when 
tliou  doest  thine  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know 
w  iiat  thy  right  hand  doeth." '  These  are  the  precepts 
of  the  Lord,  /or  the  sut)stancc  and  the  manner  of 

•  Matt.  V.  42  ;  vi.  3. 


292  OF    ALMf*. 

alms,  tor  the  quantity  and  freeness  of  the  donative, 
and  the  simplicity  of  him  that  gives;  to  which 
add  those  other  words  of  his,  '  Sell  your  posses- 
sions, and  give  alms.''  This  precept,  with  its  cir- 
cumstances, was  intended  as  a  defensative  against 
covetousness  and  prodigality,  and  a  suppletory  to 
make  up  the  wants,  and  to  make  even  the  breaches 
of  mankind  :  in  which  we  shall  best  understand 
our  obligation,  if  we  consider  in  what  proportion 
we  must  give  alms,  and  to  what  persons,  and  in 
what  manner. 

2.  First,  For  the  quantity,  we  shall  best  take  an 
estimate  of  it,  if  we  remember  the  portion  which 
God  allows  to  Christians :  '  Having  food  and  rai- 
ment, let  us  be  content  with  it  :'*  and  our  blessed 
Saviour,  at  the  latter  end  of  this  sermon,  stirs  us  up 
to  confidence  in  God,  and  not  to  doubt  our  provi- 
sions, by  telling  that  God  '  feeds  the  ravens,  and 
clothes  the  lilies,  and  he  will  much  rather  do  it 
to  us:'  he  will  clothe  us  and  feed  us.  No  more 
is  in  the  promise,  no  more  is  in  our  need  :  and 
therefore  whatsoever  is  beside  our  needs  natural 
and  personal,  that  is,  proportioning  our  needs  to 
the  condition  of  our  life,  and  exigence  of  our 
calling,  and  quality  of  our  person,  all  that  can  be 
spared  from  what  we  modestly  and  temperately 
spend  in  our  support,  and  the  supply  of  our  fami- 
lies, and  other  necessary  incidents,  all  that  is  to  ha 
spent  in  charity  or  religion.  "  He  defrauds  the  poor 
of  their  right  who  detains  from  them  beyond  his 
own  necessary,  prudent,  and  convenienl  supplies,"' 
saith  St.  .Terome.  And  this  is  intended  to  be  a 
retrenchment  of  all   vain    expenses,  costly    feasts, 

>  Luke,  xii.  33.         ^  Tim.  vi.  8.         '  James,  v.  2,  3,  4. 


OF    ALMS.  293 

rich  clotlies,  pompous  retinue,  and  such  excrescen- 
ces of  expense,  which,  of  themselves,  serve  no 
end  of  piety  or  just  policy,  but  by  wise  and  tem- 
perate persons  are  esteemed  unnecessary,  and 
without  wliich  the  di^^nity  aTid  just  value  of  the 
person  may  still  be  retained.  Whatsoever  is  vainly 
spent  is  the  portion  of  the  poor;  whatsoever  we 
lose  in  idle  ^amin^,  revelling,  and  wantonness  or 
prodigality,  was  designed  by  Christ  to  refresh  his 
own  bowels,  to  fill  the  bellies  of  the  poor ;  whatso- 
ever lies  in  our  repository  useless  and  superfluous, 
all  that  is  the  poor  man's  inheritance  :  and  cer- 
tainly there  is  not  any  greater  baseness  than  to 
suffer  a  man  to  perish,  or  be  in  extreme  want  of 
that  which  God  gave  me  for  him,  and  beyond  my 
own  needs.  It  is  unlhankfulness  to  God,  it  is  un- 
mercifulness  to  the  poor,  it  is  improvidence  to  our- 
selves, it  is  unfaithfulness  in  the  dispensation  of 
the  money,  of  which  God  made  him  but  the  stew- 
ard, and  his  chest  the  bank  for  the  exchange  and 
issuing  it  to  the  indigent.  And  he  that  is  unmer- 
ciful and  unjust,  is  extremely  unlike  God.  But  in 
taking  this  estimate  concerning  our  excrescences, 
we  are  to  proceed  according  to  the  rules  of  pru- 
dence, not  making  determinations  in  grains  and 
scruples,  but  in  the  greater  actions  and  accountable 
j)roportions  of  our  estates.  And  if  any  man,  seeing 
great  necessities  of  indigent  and  calamitous  persons, 
shall  give  beyond  his  ability,  he  hath  the  Philip- 
j)ians  fi)r  his  jjrecedent,  and  he  hath  God  engaged 
for  his  payment,  and  a  greater  share  in  heaven  for 
his  reward.  Only  tiiis  ;  as  we  are  to  provide  for 
ourselves,  so  also  for  our  family,  and  tiie  relatives 
of  our  cliarge  and  nearer  endearments;  not  only 
with  a  provision  of  the  present  day's  entertainment. 


S94  OF    ALMS. 

but  also  for  all  nearer,  probable,  foreseen,  and  ex- 
pected events  ;  such  as  are  portions  for  our  children, 
dovveries  (or  daughters.  But  this  must  not  be  ex- 
tended to  care  and  reservations  for  all  possible  and 
far  distant  events;  but  so  much  is  to  be  permitted 
to  the  divine  providence  as  our  present  dutj'  gives 
leave.  In  which,  although  a  prudent  guide  and  a 
sober  reason  are  to  make  application  to  practice  ; 
yet  the  rule  in  general  is,  that  by  so  much  we  are 
to  relieve  the  poor,  as  we  can  deduct  from  such  a 
portion  of  good  things  as  God  permits  us  to  use 
for  our  own  support,  and  reasonable  and  temporal 
conveniences  of  our  person  and  condition  :  ever 
remembering,  that  if  we  increase  in  our  estate,  we 
also  should  increase  in  charity  ;  tliat  in  this  also 
may  be  verified  what  is  written :  '  He  that  had 
much,  had  nothing  over;  and  he  that  had  little, 
had  no  lack.'  There  is  in  the  quantity  of  these 
donatives  some  latitude  :  but  if  we  sow  sparinglj', 
or  if  we  scatter  plentifully,  so  we  shall  reap.  Only 
we  must  be  careful,  that  no  extreme  necessity  or 
biting  want  lies  upon  any  poor  man,  whom  we 
can  relieve  without  bringing  such  a  want  upon 
ourselves,  which  is  less  than  the  permissions  of  for- 
tune which  the  mercies  of  God  have  permitted  to  us; 
that  is,  food  and  raiment  proper  for  us.  Under 
food  and  raiment  all  the  necessaries  of  our  life  are 
to  be  understood.  Whatsoever  is  more  than  this, 
is  counsel  and  perfection ;  for  which  a  propor- 
tionable reward  is  deposited  in  the  treasures  of 
eternity. 

3.  Secondly,  If  question  be  made  concerning  the 
persons  who  are  to  be  the  object  of  our  alms,  our 
rule  is  plain  and  easy  ;  for  nothing  is  required  in 
the    person   susci[)ient   and   capable  of  alms,   but 


OF    ALMS.  295 

tluit  he  be  in  misery  and  want,  and  unable  to 
relieve  himself.  This  last  clause  I  insert  in  pur- 
suance of  tliat  cautio  i  given  to  the  church  ofThes- 
salonica  by  St.  Paul:  'If  any  one  »iil  rot  work, 
neither  let  liim  eat.''  For  we  must  lie  careful  that 
our  charity,  which  is  intended  to  minister  to  poor 
men's  needs,  do  not  minister  to  idleness  and  the 
love  of  l)e<i:t>ary,  and  a  wandering',  useless,  unpro- 
fitable life.  But,  abating  this,  there  is  no  other  con- 
sideration that  can  exempt  any  needy  person  from 
participation  of  your  charity  :  not  though  he  be 
your  enemy;  (for  that  is  it  which  our  blessed 
Saviour  means  in  the  appendix  of  this  precept, 
•  Love  your  enemies;'  that  is,  according  to  the  ex- 
jjosition  of  the  apostle,  '  If  thine  enemy  hunger, 
feed  him;  if  he  thirst,  give  him  drink;')  not 
though  he  be  an  unbeliever;  not  though  he  be  a 
vicious  person.  Provided  only  that  the  vice  be 
such  to  which  your  relief  ministers  no  fuel,  and 
adds  no  flame  :  and  if  the  mere  necessities  of  his 
nature  be  supplied,  it  will  be  a  fair  security  against 
the  danger.  But  if  the  vice  be  in  the  scene  of  the 
body,  all  free  comforts  are  to  be  denied  him, 
because  they  are  but  incentives  of  sin,  and  angels 
of  darkness.  This  I  the  rather  insert,  that  the 
jjride  and  supercilious  austerities  of  some  persons 
l)ecome  not  to  them  an  instrument  of  excuse, 
from  ministering  to  needy  persons,  upon  pre- 
tence their  own  sins  brougiit  them  into  that  con- 
dition. For  though  the  causes  of  our  calamities 
are  many  limes  great  secrets  of  providence;  yet 
suppose  the  poverty  of  the  man  was  tiie  effect  of 
Ills  prodigality,  or  other  baseness,  it  matters  not  as 
to  our  (hity  iiow  he  came  into  it,  but  where  he  is; 
'  'J  Thes.  ill.  10. 


596  OF    ALMS. 

lest  we  also  be  ilenied  a  visit  in  our  sicknesses,  and 
a  comfort  in  our  sorrow,  or  a  counsel  in  our  doubts, 
or  aid  in  any  distress,  upon  pretence  that  such  sad- 
ness was  procured  by  our  sins :  and  ten  to  one  but 
it  was  so.  '  Do  ^ood  to  all,'  saith  the  apostle, '  but 
especially  to  the  family  of  Aiith  ;'  for  to  them  our 
charity  is  most  proper  and  proportioned.  To  all, 
viz.  who  are  in  need,  and  cannot  relieve  them- 
selves; in  which  number  persons  that  can  work 
are  not  to  be  accounted.  So  that  if  it  be  necessary 
to  observe  an  order  in  our  charity,  this  is,  when  we 
cannot  supply  and  suffice  for  all  our  opportunities 
of  mercy,  then  'let  not  the  brethren  of  our  Ijord 
j^o  away  ashamed.'  And  in  other  things  observe 
the  order  and  propriety  of  our  own  relations  :  and 
where  there  is  otherwise  no  difference,  the  de- 
gree of  the  necessity  is  first  to  be  considered.  Thus 
also,  if  the  necessity  be  final  and  extreme,  whatever 
the  man  be,  he  is  first  to  be  relieved  before  the 
lesser  necessities  of  the  best  persons  or  most  holy 
poor.  But  the  proper  objects  of  our  charity  are 
old  persons,  sick  or  impotent,  laborious  and  poor 
housekeepers,  widows  and  orphans,  people  op- 
pressed or  persecuted  for  the  cause  of  righteousness, 
distressed  strangers,  captives  and  abused  slaves, 
prisoners  for  debt.  To  these  we  must  be  liberal, 
whether  they  be  holy  or  unholy  ;  remembering 
that  we  are  sons  of  that  P'atlier  who  makes  the 
dew  of  heaven  to  drop  upon  the  dwellings  of  the 
rigliteous  and  the  fields  of  sinners. 

4.  Thirdly,  The  manner  of  giving  alms  is  an 
office  of  Cliristian  j)rudence;  for  in  what  instances 
we  are  to  exemplify  our  charity,  we  must  l»e 
determined  by  our  own  powers,  and  olliers  needs 
The    Scripture   reckons  entertaining  slningers,  vi- 


OV    Nor    JIM>GIN(!.  297 

silino;-  llie  sick,  t^oiiii^  to  prisons,  feeding  antl  cloth- 
in;^  the  liiinLjry  antl  naked:  to  whicli,  by  the  exi- 
jfence  of  the  poor  and  the  analoory  of  charily, 
many  other  are  to  be  added.  The  holy  Jesus  in 
the  very  precept  instanced  in  lendinor  money  to  them 
that  need  to  borrow  ;  and  he  adds,  looking-  for  no- 
tliing  again;  that  is,if  they  be  unable  to  pay  it.  For- 
giving debts  is  a  great  instance  of  mercy,  and  a 
particular  of  excellent  relief:  but  to  imprison  men 
for  debt,  when  it  is  certain  they  are  not  able  to 
pay  it,  and  by  that  prison  will  be  far  more  dis- 
abled, is  an  uncharitableness  next  to  the  cruelties 
of  savages,  and  at  infinite  distance  from  the  mercies 
of  the  holy  Jesus. 


PART  III. 

Of  not  Judging. 

Another  instance  of  charity  our  great  Master 
inserted  in  this  sermon,  '  not  to  judge  our  brother. 
And  this  is  a  charity  so  cheap  and  so  reasonable, 
that  it  requires  nothing  of  us  but  silence  in  our 
spirits.  We  may  perrorm  this  duty  at  the  charge 
of  a  negative  :  if  we  meddle  not  with  other  men's 
ufTaiis,  we  shall  do  ihem  no  wrong,  and  purchase 
to  ourselves  a  peace,  and  be  secured  the  rather 
from  the  unerring  sentence  of  a  severe  judge.  But 
this  interdict  forbids  only  such  judging  as  is  un- 
gentle and  uncharitable.  In  criminal  causes  let  us 
tind  all  the  ways  to  alleviate  the  burden  of  the 
man  by  just  excuses,  by  extenuating  or  lessening 
accidents,  by  abatement  of  incident  circumstances, 
by  gentle  sentences,  and  whatsoever  can  do  :-eliel 


298  '        NOT    JUDGING. 

to  tlie  person,  that  bis  spirit  be  not  exasperated, 
that  the  crime  be  not  the  parent  of  impudence, 
that  he  be  not  insulted  on,  that  he  be  invited  to 
repentance,  and  by  such  sweetnesses  lie  be  led  to 
his  restitution.  This  also,  in  questions  of  doubts, 
obliges  us  to  determine  to  the  more  favourable 
sense:  and  we  also  do  need  the  same  mercies,  and 
therefore  should  do  well,  by  our  own  rigour,  not  to 
disentitle  ourselves  to  such  possibilites  and  re- 
serves of  charity.  But  it  is  foul  and  base,  by  de- 
traction and  iniquity,  to  blast  tlie  reputation  of  an 
honourable  action,  and  tlie  fair  name  of  virtue  with 
a  calumny.  But  this  duty  is  also  a  part  of  the 
grace  of  justice  and  of  humility,  and  by  its  relation 
and  kindred  to  so  many  virtues,  is  furnisiied  with 
so  many  arguments  of  amity  and  endearment. 


THE  PRAYER. 

Holy  and  merciful  Jesus,  who  art  the  great  principle  and  the 
Instrument  of  conveying  to  us  the  charity  and  mercies  of  eternity, 
who  didst  love  us  when  we  were  enemies,  forgive  us  when  we  were 
debtors,  recover  us  when  we  were  dead,  ransom  us  when  we  were 
slaves,  relieve  us  when  we  were  poor,  and  naked,  and  wandering, 
and  full  of  sadness  and  necessities  ;  give  us  the  grace  of  charity, 
that  we  may  be  pitiful  and  compassionate  of  the  needs  of  our  ne- 
cessitous brethren,  that  we  may  be  apt  to  relieve  them,  and  that 
according  to  cur  duty  and  possibilities  we  may  rescue  them  from 
their  calamities.  Give  us  courteous,  affable,  and  liberal  souls, 
liet  us,  by  thy  example,  forgive  our  debtors,  and  love  our  ene- 
mies, and  do  to  them  offices  of  civility,  and  tenderness  and  re- 
lief ;  always  propounding  thee  for  our  pattern,  and  thy  mercies 
for  our  precedent,  and  thy  precepts  for  our  rule,  and  thy  Spirit 
fir  our  guide  :  that  we,  showing  mercy  here,  may  receive  the 
mtrcies  of  eternity  by  thy  merits,  and  by  thy  charities,  and  dis« 
pensation,  O  holy  and  merciful  Jesus.     Amen. 


or  iRAVER.  199 

DISCOURSE  XII. 

Of  the  sfcond  addilionnl  Precept  of  Christ,  viz. 
Of  Prai/er. 

1.  'I'uv.  soul  of  a  Cliristian  is  tlie  house  of  God  ; 
'  Vc  are  (iod's  building,''  saitli  St.  Paul ;  but  the 
liouse  of  God  is  tlie  house  of  prayer  ;  and  therefore 
prayer  is  the  work  of  the  soul,  whose  organs  are 
intended  for  instruments  of  the  divine  praises; 
and  when  every  stop  and  pause  of  those  instru- 
ments is  but  the  conclusion  of  a  collect,  and  every 
breathing  is  a  prayer,  then  the  body  becomes  a 
temple,  and  the  soul  is  the  sanctuary,  and  more 
private  recess,  and  place  of  intercourse.  Prayer  is 
the  great  duty,  and  the  greatest  privilege  of  a 
Christian  :  it  is  his  intercourse  with  God,  his 
sanctuary  in  troubles,  his  remedy  for  sins,  his  cure 
of  griefs ;  and,  as  St.  Gregory  calls  it,  "  It  is  the 
principal  instrnme-nt  whereby  we  minister  to  God, 
in  execution  of  the  decrees  of  eternal  predestina- 
tion :"  and  those  things  which  God  intends  for  us, 
we  bring  to  ourselves  by  the  mediation  of  holy 
prayers.  Prayer  is  the  "  ascent  of  the  mind  to 
God,  and  a  petitioning  for  such  things  as  we  need 
lor  our  support  and  duty.''^  It  is  an  abstract  and 
summary  of  Christian  religion.  Prayer  is  an  act 
(if  religion  and  divine  worship,  confessing  his 
power  and  his  mercy:  it  celebrates  his  attributes, 
and  confesses  his  glories,  and  reveres  his  person, 

'  1  Cor.  ill.  4. 
wana  6(M.      Damasc.  lib.  iii.  Orthodox,  lid. 


IJOO  OF    PUAYER. 

and  implores  liis  aid,  and  gives  thanks  for  his 
blessia^s.  It  is  an  act  of  l)umility,  condescension, 
and  dependence,  expressed  in  the  prostration  of 
our  bodies,  and  humiliation  of  onr  spirits.  It  is 
an  act  of  charity,  when  we  pray  for  others  :  it  is 
an  act  of  repentance,  when  it  confesses  and  begs 
pardon  for  our  sins;  and  exercises  every  grace,  ac- 
cording to  the  fles^ign  of  the  man  and  the  matter 
of  the  prayer.  So  that  there  will  be  less  need  to 
amass  arguments  to  invite  us  to  this  duty;  every 
part  is  an  excellence,  and  every  end  of  it  is  a 
blessing,  and  every  design  is  a  motive,  and  every 
need  is  an  impulsive  to  this  holy  office.  Let  us 
but  remember  how  many  needs  we  have,  at  how 
cheap  a  rate  we  may  obtain  their  remedies,  and 
yet  how  honourable  the  employment  is  to  go  to 
God  with  confidence,  and  to  fetch  our  supplies 
Avith  easiness  and  joy;  and  then,  without  further 
preface,  we  may  address  ourselves  to  the  under- 
standing of  that  duty  by  which  we  imitate  the  em- 
ployn)ent  of  angels  and  beatified  spirits,  by  which 
we  ascend  to  God  in  spirit  while  we  remain  on 
earth,  and  God  descends  on  earth  while  he  yet 
resides  in  heaven,  sitting  there  on  the  throne  of  his 
kingdom. 

'2.  Our  first  inquiry  must  be  concerning  the 
matter  of  prayers  :  for  our  desires  are  not  to  be  the 
rule  of  our  prayers,  unless  reason  and  religion  be 
the  rule  of  our  desires.  The  old  heathens  prayed 
to  their  gods  for  such  things  wiiich  they  were 
ashamed  to  name  publicly  before  men  ;  and  these 
were  their  private  prayers  which  they  durst  not,  for 
their  indecency  or  inifjuity,  make  public.  And, 
indeed,  sometimes  the  best  men  ask  of  God  things 
not   unlawful    in   themselves,    yet  very    hurtful   to 


Ol      IRWJR-  301 

tlit-ni.  And  tlierefoie,  as  by  tlie  Spirit  of  God 
and  riijlit  reason  we  are  taiiijlit  in  j^eneral  what  is 
lawful  to  be  asked,  so  it  is  still  to  be  submitted  to 
God,  wlieii  we  have  asked  lawful  things,  to  grant 
to  us  in  kindness,  or  to  deny  us  in  mercy  :  after 
all  the  rules  that  can  be  given  us,  we  not  being 
able,  in  many  instances,  to  judge  for  ourselves, 
unless  also  we  could  certainly  pronounce  concern- 
ing future  contingencies.  But  the  Holy  Ghost 
being  now  sent  upon  the  church,  and  the  rule  ot' 
Christ  being  left  to  his  church,  together  with  his 
form  of  prayer  taught  and  prescribed  to  his  dis- 
ciples, we  have  sufficient  instruction  for  the  matter 
of  our  prayers,  so  far  as  concerns  their  lawfulness 
or  unlawfulness:  and  the  rule  is  easy,  and  of  no 
variety.  I.  For  we  are  bound  to  pray  for  all  things 
that  concern  our  duty,  all  that  we  are  bound  to 
labour  for ;  such  as  are  glory  and  grace,  necessary 
assistances  of  the  Spirit,  and  rewards  spirituai, 
heaven  and  heavenly  things.  2.  Concerning  those 
things  which  we  may  with  safety  hope  for,  but  are 
not  matter  of  duty  to  us,  we  may  lawfully  testify  our 
hope  and  express  our  desires  by  ])etition  :  but  if  in 
their  particulars  they  are  under  no  express  promise, 
but  only  conveniences  of  our  life  and  person,  it  is 
only  lawful  to  pray  for  them  under  condition,  that 
they  may  conform  to  God's  will  and  our  duty,  as 
tliey  are  good,  an<l  placed  in  the  best  order  of  eter- 
nity. Therefore.  I.  For  sj)iritual  blessings  let  our 
prayers  be  pailicularly  imjjortunate,  perpetual, and 
persevering.  '2.  For  temporal  blessings  let  them 
be  generally  short,  conditional,  and  modest.  .?. 
And  whatsoever  things  are  of  mixed  nature, 
more  spiritual  than  riches,  and  less  necessary  than 
graces,  such  as  are  gifts  and  exterior  ai<ls,  we  may 


302  EXPOSITION    OP   THE 

pray  for  them,  as  we  may  desire  tliem  and  as  we 
may  expect  them;  that  is,  with  more  confidence  and 
less  restraint  tiian  in  the  m;itter  ol"  temporal  re- 
quests, but  with  more  reservedness  and  less  hold- 
ness  of  petition  than  when  we  pray  for  the  graces  of 
sanctification.  In  the  first  case  we  are  bound  to  pray: 
in  the  second,  it  is  only  lawful  under  certain  condi- 
tions: in  the  third,  it  becomes  to  us  a:i  act  of  zeal, 
nobleness,  and  Christian  prudence.  But  the  mat- 
ter of  our  prayers  is  best  taught  us  in  the  form  our 
Lord  taught  his  disciples ;  which  because  it  is 
short,  mysterious,  and,  like  the  treasures  of  the 
Spirit,  full  of  wisdom  and  latent  senses,  it  is  not 
improper  to  draw  forth  those  excellencies  which  are 
intended  and  signified  by  every  petition,  that  by  so 
excellent  an  authority  we  may  know  wliat  it  is  law- 
ful to  beg  of  God. 

3.  '  Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,'  The  ad- 
dress reminds  us  of  many  parts  of  our  duty.  '  If 
God  be  our  Father,  where  is  his  fear'  and  reverence 
and  obedience  ?  '  If  ye  were  Abraham's  children, 
ye  would  do  the  works  of  Abraham;'  and  '  ye  are 
of  your  father  the  devil,  for  his  works  ye  do.'  Let 
us  not  dare  to  call  him  Father,  if  we  be  reliels  and 
enemies  :  but  if  we  be  obedient,  then  we  know  he 
is  our  Father,  and  will  give  us  a  child's  portion, 
and  the  inheritance  of  sons.  But  it  is  observable 
that  Christ  here  speaking  concerning  private  prayer, 
does  describe  it  in  a  form  of  plural  signification, 
to  tell  us,  that  we  are  to  draw  into  the  communi- 
cation of  our  prayers  all  those  who  are  confederated 
in  the  common  relation  of  sons  of  the  same  father.' 
•  Which  art   in  heaven.'  tells  us  where  our  hopes 

I  Matt,  xxiii.  0;  Eph.  iv.  (i. 


lord's  prayer.  3  3 

end  hearts  must  be  fixed,  wliitheronr  desires  and 
our  prayers  must  tend.'  Siirsiim  corda  ;  '  where 
our  treasure  is,  there  must  our  hearts  be  also.' 

4.  '  Hallowed  be  tliy  name;'  that  is,  let  thy  name, 
thy  essence,  and  glorious  attributes  be  honoured 
and  adored  in  all  the  world,  believed  by  faith, 
loved  by  charity,  celebrated  with  praises,  thanked 
with  eucharist :  and  let  thy  name  be  hallowed  in 
us,  as  it  is  in  itself.  Thy  name  being  called  upon 
us,  let  us  walk  worthy  of  that  calling;  that  '  our 
ligiit  may  shine  before  men,  that  they,  seeing  our 
good  works,  may  glorify  thee  our  Father  which  art 
in  heaven.'  In  order  also  to  the  sanctification  of 
thy  name,  grant  that  all  our  praises,  hymns,  eucha- 
ristical  remembrances  and  representments  of  thy 
glories  may  be  useful,  blessed,  and  efteclual  for  the 
dispersing  thy  fame,  and  advancing  thy  honour 
over  all  the  world.  This  is  a  direct  and  (ormal  act 
of  worshipping  and  adoration.  The  name  of  God 
is  representative  of  God  himself,  and  it  signifies. 
Be  thou  worshipped  and  adored,  be  thou  thanked 
and  celebrated  with  honour  and  eucharist. 

o.  '  Thy  kingdom  come.'  That  is,  as  thou  bust 
caused  to  be  preat-hed  and  published  the  coming 
of  thy  kingdom,  the  peace  and  truth,  the  revela- 
tion and  glories  of  the  gospel;  so  let  it  come 
verily  and  efiectually  to  us  and  all  the  world;  that 
thou  mayest  truly  reign  in  our  spirits,  exercising 
absolute  dominion,  subduing  all  thine  enemies, 
ruling  in  our  faculties,  in  the  understanding  by 
faith,  in  the  will  by  charity,  in  the  passions  by 
mortification,    in   tiie   members    by  a   chaste    and 

'  Nihil  nos  delectet  in  infimis,  qui  Patrem  habemus  in  ca-lis. 
lico.  Ser.  de  Ascen.--"  Nothing  should  delight  us  below,  who 
have  a  Father  in  heaven." 


304  KX POSITION-    OF    THE 

rijjlit  use  of  the  pails.  And  as  it  was  more  parti- 
cularly and  in  the  letter  proper  at  the  beginning 
of  Christ's  preaching',  when  he  also  taught  the 
prayer,  that  God  would  hasten  the  coming  of  the 
gospel  to  all  the  world,  so  now  also  and  ever  it 
it  will  be  in  its  proportion  necessary  and  pious 
to  pray  that  it  may  comes  till,  making  greater  pro- 
gress in  the  world,  extending  itself  where  yet  it  is  not, 
and  intending  it  where  it  is  already ;  that  the  king- 
dom of  Christ  may  not  only  be  in  us  in  name,  and 
form,  and  honourable  appellatives,  but  in  effect 
and  power.  This  petition,  in  the  first  ages  of  Chris- 
tianity, was  not  expounded  to  signify  a  prayer  for 
Christ's  second  coming;  because  the  gospel  not 
being  preached  to  all  the  world,  they  prayed  for 
the  delay  of  the  day  of  judgment,  that  Christ's 
kingdom  upon  eartli  might  have  its  proper  incre- 
ment :  but  since  then  every  age,  as  it  is  more  for- 
ward in  time,  so  it  is  more  earnest  in  desire  to  ac- 
complish the  intermedial  prophecies,  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  the  Father  might  come  in  glories 
infinite.  And,  indeed,  the  kingdom  of  grace  being 
in  order  to  the  kingdom  of  glory  ;  this,  as  it  is 
principally  to  be  desired,  so  may  possibly  be  in- 
tended chiefly.  Which  also  is  the  more  probable, 
because  the  address  of  this  prayer  being  to  God  the 
Father,  it  is  proper  to  observe,  that  the  kingdom  of 
grace,  or  of  the  gospel,  is  called  the  kingdom  of  the 
Son  ;  and  that  of  glory,  in  the  style  of  the  Scripture, 
is  the  kingdom  of  the  Father.'  St.  (•■  rman,  patri- 
arch of  Constantinople,  expounds  it  with  some 
little  difference,  but  not  ill:  '  Thy  kingdom  come  ;* 
that  is,  let   thy    Holy   Spirit   come    into  us:     for 

>  Colos.  i.   13;  Rev.  i.  9;  Matt.  xiii.  41;    Luke.  vi.  20  j 
Matt  y-vi.  28. 


i.«»!tr)'>  I'Kwru.  :H>5 

•  the  kin<,^(lom  of  heaven  iswilliin  us/saith  the  holy 
Scripture.  And  so  it  intimates  our  desires  that  the 
promise  of  the  Father,  and  the  prophecies  of  old, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  comforter,  may  come  upon 
us.  lict  that  '  anointinuf  from  above'  descend 
upon  us,  wliereby  we  may  be  anointed  kin^^^s  and 
j)riests,  in  a  spiritual  kingdom  and  priesthood, by  a 
holy  chrism. 

().  '  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.' 
That  is,  the  whole  economy  and  dispensation  of 
thy  providence  be  the  guide  of  the  world,  und  the 
measure  of  our  desire;  that  we  be  patient  in  all 
accidents,  confora)able  to  God's  will  both  in  doin|::j 
and  in  suffering,  sul)mitting  to  changes,  and  even 
to  persecutions,  and  doing  all  God's  will :  w hicli 
because  without  God's  aid  we  cannot  do,  therefore 
we  beg  it  of  him  by  prayer ;  but  by  his  aid  we  are 
confident  we  may  do  it  in  the  maimer  of  angelical 
obedience  ;  that  is,  promptly,  readily,  cheerfully, 
and  with  all  our  faculties.  Or  thus  :  as  the  angels 
in  heaven  serve  thee  with  harmony,  concord,  and 
peace,  so  let  us  all  join  in  the  service  of  thy  Ma- 
jesty with  peace  and  purity,  and  love  unfeigned ; 
that  as  all  the  angels  are  in  peace,  and  among  them 
there  is  no  persecutor  and  none  persecuted,  there  is 
none  afflicted,  none  assaulting  or  afflicting  or 
jissaulted,  but  all  in  sweetness  and  peaceable  se- 
renity glorifying  thee ;  so  let  thy  will  be  done  on 
earth,  by  all  the  world,  in  peace  and  unity,  in  cha- 
rity and  tranquillity,  that  with  one  heart  and  one 
voice  we  may  glorify  thee,  our  universal  Father, 
having  in  us  nothing  that  may  displease  lliee, 
having  quitted  all  our  own  desires  and  pretensions, 
living  in  angelic  conformity,  our  souls  subject  to 
thee,  and  our  passions  to  our  souls  ;  that  in  earth 

vol..   II.  20 


30(!  r.XfosrrtoN  t»r   rur. 

also  tiiy  will  may  bo  done  as  in  the  spirit  and  soul, 
which  is  a  portion  of  the  lieavenly  substance. 
These  three  petitions  are  addressed  to  God  by  way 
of  adoration.  In  the  first,  the  sovil  puts  on  the  af- 
fections of  a  child,  and  divests  itself  of  its  oun  in- 
terest, offering-  itself  up  wholly  to  the  designs  and 
glorifications  of  (lod.  In  the  second,  it  puts  on  the 
relation  and  duty  of  a  subject  to  her  legitimate 
prince,  seeking  the  promotion  of  his  regal  interest. 
In  the  third,  she  puts  on  the  affection  of  a  spouse, 
loving  the  same  love,  and  choosing  the  same  object, 
and  delighting  in  unions  and  conformities.  The 
next  part  descends  lower,  and  makes  addresses  to 
God  in  relation  to  our  own  necessities. 

7.  'Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. '^  That  is, 
give  unto  us  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  support  ot 
our  lives,  the  bread  of  our  necessity  ;  so  the  Syriac 
interpreter  reads  it ;  *  This  day  give  us  the  por- 
tion of  bread,  which  is  day  by  day  necessary.* 
Give  us  the  bread,  or  support,  which  we  shall  need 
all  our  lives;  only  this  day  minister  our  present 
part  :  for  we  pray  for  the  necessary  bread  or  main- 
tenance, which  God  knows  we  shall  need  all  our 
days:  but  that  we  '  be  not  careful  for  to-morrow,' 
we  are  taught  to  pray,  not  that  it  be  all  at  once 
represented  or  deposited,  but  that  God  would  mi- 
nister it  as  we  need  it,how  he  pleases ;  but  our  needs 
are  to  be  the  measure  of  our  desires,  our  desires 
must  not  make  our  needs;  that  we  may  be  confi- 
dent of  the  divine  providence,  and  not  at  all  cove- 
tous.    For  therefore  God  feeds  his  people  with  ex- 

'  '".TTiHaioQ  ab  iTriiian,  quod  diem  posterum  significat.  Nazare- 
nonim  evangelium  (referente  S.  Hieronymo)  legit  [panem  crasti- 
num  ;]  S.  I^ucas  [panem  diurnum,]  sive  indies  necessarium,  70 
t:aO'  t'lfiinay  rrASroij  irt  K-ijffir  (r/'/i/ifrpof  Tinoc  tvcaiftoviav. 


LORDS    PUVYKH.  307 

temporary  provisions,  tliat  by  needing  always  tliey 
may  learn  to  pray  to  him  ;  and  by  being  still  supplied 
they  may  learn  to  trust  him  for  the  future,  and 
thank  iiim  for  that  is  past,  and  rejoice  in  the  pre- 
sent. So  God  rained  down  manna,  giving  them 
their  daily  portion  ;  and  so  all  fathers  and  masters 
minister  to  their  children  and  servants,  giving  them 
their  proportion  as  they  eat  it,  not  the  meat  of  a 
year  at  once;  and  yet  no  child  or  servant  fears 
want,  if  his  parent  or  lord  be  good,  and  wise,  and 
rich.  And  it  is  necessary  for  all  to  pray  this  prayer. 
The  poor,  because  they  want  the  bread,  and  have  it 
not  deposited  but  in  tlie  hands  of  God ;  '  mercy 
ploughing  the  fields  of  iieaven,'  (as  Job's  expression 
is,)  brings  them  corn  ;  and  the  cattle  upon  a  thou- 
sand hills  are  God's,  and  they  find  the  poor  man 
meat.  The  rich  also  need  this  prayer,  because 
although  they  have  the  bread,  yet  they  need  the 
blessing  ;  and  what  they  have  now  may  perish,  or 
be  taken  from  them  :  and  as  jjreservation  is  a  perpe- 
tual creation,  so  the  continuing  to  rich  men  what 
God  hatli  already  bestowed  is  a  continual  giving  it. 
Young  men  must  pray,  because  their  needs  are  like 
to  be  the  longer;  and  old  men,  because  they  are 
present.  But  all  these  are  to  pray  but  for  the  pre- 
sent; that  which  in  estimation  of  law  is  to  be 
reckoned  as  imminent  upon  the  present,  and  part 
of  this  state  and  condition.  But  it  is  great  impro- 
vidence, and  an  unchristian  spirit,  for  old  men  to 
heap  up  provisions,  and  load  their  sumpters  still 
the  more  by  how  much  their  way  is  shorter.  But 
there  is  also  a  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven,  a  diviner  nutriment  of  our  souls,  the  food 
and  wine  of  angels;  Christ  himself,  as  he  ccmmuni- 
cates  himself  in  the  expresses  of  his  word  and  sacra- 


30S  rxPosirioN  of  the 

merits  :  and  if  we  be  destitvite  ofthis  breud,  mc  nre 
miserable  and  perishing  people.  We  must  pray 
lliat  our  souls  also  may  feed  upon  those  celestial 
viands  prepared  for  us  in  the  antepasts  of  the  gos- 
pel, till  the  great  and  fuller  meal  of  the  supper  of 
the  Lamb  shall  answer  all  our  prayers,  and  satisfy 
every  desire. 

8.  '  Forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  them 
that  trespass  against  us.'  Not  only  those  sins  of 
infirmity,  invasion,  and  sudden  surprise,  which,  like 
excrescences  of  luxuriant  trees,  adhere  to  many 
actions  by  inadvertency,  and  either  natural  weak 
ness  or  accidental  prejudice;  but  also  all  those 
great  sins  which  were  washed  off  from  our  souls, 
and  the  stain  taken  away  in  baptism;  or  when  by 
choice  and  after  the  use  of  reason  we  gave  up  our 
names  to  Christ,  when  we  first  received  the  adop- 
tion of  sons.  For  even  those  things  were  so  par- 
doned, that  we  must  for  ever  confess  and  glory  in 
the  divine  mercy,  and  still  ascertain  it  by  perform- 
ing what  we  then  promised,  and  which  were  the 
conditions  of  our  covenant.  For  although  Christ 
hath  taken  off  the  guilt,  yet  still  there  remains  the 
disreputation.  And  St.  Paul  calls  himself  '  the 
chiefest  of  sinners,'  not  referring  to  his  present  con- 
dition, but  to  his  former  persecuting  the  church  of 
God,  which  is  one  of  the  greatest  crimes  in  the 
world,  an  I  for  ever  he  asked  pardon  for  it;  and  so 
must  we,  knowing  that  they  may  return  ;  if  we 
shake  off  the  yoke  of  Christ,  and  break  his  cords 
from  us,  the  bands  of  the  covenant  evangelical,  the 
sins  will  return  so  as  to  undo  us.  And  this  we  pray 
with  a  tacit  obligation  to  forgive  :  for  so  only,  and 
upon  that  condition  we  beg  pardon  to  be  given  or 
continued  respectively  ;   that  is,  as  we  from  our 


LOUD  ;>    I'llAYLR.  G(  U 

lieails  lorgive  tliein  lliaL  did  us  injury  in  any  kind, 
never  enlerlainint;  so  niucli  as  a  thou^lit  o(  reven<;t-, 
but  contrariwise,  loving  tliem  that  did  us  wron^  ; 
for  so  we  beg  that  God  should  do  to  us.  Ami, 
therefore,  it  is  but  a  lesser  revenge  to  say,  I  will 
forgive,  but  I  will  never  have  to  do  with  him: 
for  if  he  become  an  object  of  charity,  we  must 
have  to  do  with  him  to  relieve  him;  because  he 
needs  prayers,  we  must  have  to  do  with  him,  and 
pray  for  him;  and  to  refuse  his  society  when  it  is 
reasonably  and  innocently  oftered,  is  to  deny  that 
to  him  whicii  Christians  have  been  taught  to  deny 
only  to  persons  excommunicate,  to  persons  under 
punishment ;  i.  e.  to  i)ersons  not  yet  forgiven. 
^\nd  we  shall  have  but  an  evil  j)ortion,  if  (iod 
should  forgive  our  sins,  and  should  not  also  love 
us,  and  do  us  grace,  and  bestow  benefits  upon  us. 
So  we  must  forgive  others;  so  God  forgives  us. 

9.  '  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation.'  St.  Cy- 
prian, out  of  an  old  Latin  copy,  reads  it,  '  Sufl'er 
us  not  to  be  led  into  temptation  ;'  that  is,  sufter  us 
not  to  be  overcome  by  temptation.  And  therefore 
we  are  bound  to  prevent  our  access  to  such  tempta- 
tion whose  very  approximation  is  dangerous,  and 
the  contact  is  irregular  and  evil;  such  as  are  temp- 
tations of  the  flesh.  Yet  in  other  temptations  the 
assault  sometimes  makes  confident,  and  hardens  a 
resolution.  For  some  sj)irits,  who  are  softened  by 
fair  usages,  are  steeled  and  emboldened  by  a  perse- 
cution. But  of  w  hat  nature  soever  the  temptations 
be,  whether  they  be  such  whose  approach  a  Chris- 
tian is  bound  to  fear,  or  such  which  are  the  certain 
lot  of  Christians,  (such  are  troubles  and  persecu- 
tions, into  which  when  we  enter  we  must  count  it 
joy,)  yet  we  are  to  pr;iy  that  we  enter  not  jjito  the 


310  JXPOSIIIUN    OF    THE 

possession  of  the  temptation,  that  we  be  not  over- 
come by  it. 

10.  *  But  deliver  us  from  evil.'  From  the  assaults 
or  violence  of  evil;  from  the  wicked  one,  who  not 
only  presents  us  with  objects,  but  heightens  our  con- 
cupiscence, and  makes  us  imap^inative,  fantastical, 
and  passionate;  setting  on  the  temptation,  making 
the  lust  active,  and  the  man  full  of  appetite,  and 
the  appetite  full  of  energy  and  power  :  therefore 
deliver  us  from  the  evil  one,  who  is  interested  as  an 
enemy  in  every  hostility  and  in  every  danger. 
Ijet  not  Satan  have  any  power  or  advantage  over 
ns;  and  let  not  evil  men  prevail  upon  us  in  our 
danger,  mucli  less  to  our  ruin.  Make  us  '  safe 
under  the  covering  of  thy  wings'  against  all  fraud 
and  every  violence,  that  no  temptation  destroy  our 
hopes,  or  break  our  strength,  or  alter  our  stale,  or 
overthrow  our  glories.  In  these  last  petitions, 
which  concern  ourselves,  the  soul  hath  affections 
proper  to  her  own  needs ;  as  in  the  former  propor- 
tion, to  God's  glory.  In  the  first  of  these,  the  affec- 
tion of  a  poor,  indigent,  and  necessitous  beggar  ;  in 
the  second,  of  a  delinquent  and  penitent  servant; 
in  the  last,  of  a  person  in  affliction  or  danger. 
And  after  all  this  the  reason  of  our  confidence  is 
derived  from  God. 

11.  '  For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  the  power,  and 
the  glory  for  ever.'  That  is,  these  things  which  we 
beg  are  for  the  honour  of  thy  kingdom,  for  the  ma- 
nifestation of  thy  power,  and  tlie  glory  of  thy  name 
and  mercies.  And  it  is  an  express  doxology  or 
adoration,  which  is  apt  and  fit  to  conclude  all  our 
players  and  addresses  to  God. 

12.  These  are  the  generals  and  great  tiea>uris  of 
matter  to  whicli    all  our   prt'scut  or  suddi'ti   needrj 


LOKDS    i'KAVi:R.  31  I 

are  reducible.  And  wlieii  we  niiike  our  j)rayers 
more  minute  and  particular,  if  the  instance  be  in 
mutter  of  duly  and  merely  spiritual,  there  is  no 
danger:  but  when  our  needs  are  tem|>oral,or  we 
are  transported  with  secular  desires,  all  descending 
to  particulars  is  a  confining  tiie  divine  j)rovidence, 
a  judj^injj  for  ourselves,  a  begt^inij^  a  temi>talioii 
oitentimes,  sometimes  a  mischief;  and  to  beg-  be- 
yond the  necessities  of  our  life,  is  a  mutiny  against 
that  providence  which  assigns  to  Christians  no 
more  but  food  and  raiment  for  their  own  use ;  all 
other  excrescences  of  i)ossessions  being  entrusted 
to  the  rich  man's  dispensation  only  as  to  a  steward, 
and  he  shall  be  accountable  i'or  the  coat  tiiat 
lies  by  him  as  the  portion  o(  moths,  and  for  the 
shoes  whicli  are  the  spoils  of  mouldiness,  and 
the  contumely  of  plenty.  '  Grant  me,  O  liord, 
not  what  I  desire,  but  what  is  profitable  for  me.' 
l''or  sometimes  we  desire  that  which  in  the  suc- 
ceeding event  of  things  will  undo  us.  This  rule 
is  in  all  things  that  concern  ourselves.  There  is 
some  little  dift'erence  in  the  aflairs  and  necessities  of 
other  men  :  for,  provided  we  submit  to  the  divine 
))rovidence,  and  pray  for  good  things  for  others  only 
with  a  tacit  condition,  so  far  as  they  are  good  and 
profitable  in  order  to  the  l)est  ends,  though  we  be  })ar- 
ticular,  there  is  nocovelousness  in  it;  there  maybe  in- 
discretion in  the  particular,  but  in  the  general,  no 
fault,  because  it  is  a  prayer  and  a  design  of  charity. 
For  kings,  and  all  that  are  in  authority,  we  may  yet 
enlarge,  and  pray  for  a  peaceable  reign,  true  lieges, 
strong  armies,  victories  and  fair  success  in  their  just 
wars,  health,  long  life,  and  riches;  because  they  have 
a  capacity  which  private  persons  have  nut.      And 


3J2  OF    PKAYEK. 

whatsoever  is  good  for  single  persons,  and  what- 
soever is  apt  for  their  uses  as  public  persons,  all 
that  we  may  and  must  pray  for  ;  eitlier  particularly, 
for  so  we  may,  or  in  general  significations,  (or  so  we 
must  at  least:  '  That  we  may  lead  a  godly,  peace- 
able, and  quiet  life,  in  all  godliness  and  honesty ;' 
that  is  St.  Paul's  rule,  and  tlie  prescrii^ed  measure 
and  purpose  of  such  prayers.  And  in  this  instance 
of  kings,  we  may  pray  for  defeating  all  the  king's 
enemies,  such  as  are  truly  such.  And  we  have  no 
other  restraint  upon  us  in  this,  but  that  we  keep 
our  desires  confined  within  the  limits  of  tlieend  we 
are  commanded  ;  tiiat  is,  so  far  to  confound  the 
king's  enemies,  that  he  may  do  his  duty,  and  we 
do  ours,  and  receive  the  blessing;  ever  as  much  as 
we  can  to  distinguish  the  malice  from  the  person. 
But  if  the  enemies  themselves  will  not  also  sepa- 
rate what  our  intentions  distinguish,  that  is,  if  they 
will  not  return  to  their  duty,  then  let  the  prayers 
operate  as  God  pleases,  we  must  be  zealous  for 
(he  end  of  the  king's  authority  and  peaceable 
government.  By  enemies  I  mean  rebels  or  in- 
vadei-s,  tyrants  and  usurpers;  for  in  other  wars 
there  are  many  other  considerations  not  proper  for 
this  place. 

13.  The  next  consideration  will  be  concerning 
the  manner;  I  mean  both  the  manner  of  our  per- 
sons, and  the  manner  of  our  prayers;  that  is,  with 
what  conditions  we  ought  to  approach  to  God, 
and  with  wliat  circumstances  the  prayers  may  or 
ought  to  be  performed.  The  conditions  to  make 
our  prayers  holy  and  certain  to  |)revail  are,  first. 
That  we  live  good  lives,  endeavouring  to  conform 
by  holy  obedience  to  all  the  divine  commandments 


UV    lUAYlII.  313 

Tliis  toiidiliun  is  expressly  recorded  by  St.  John  : 
'  Beloved,  if  our  heurts  condemn  us  not,  then  have 
we  confidence  toward  God  ;  and  whatsoever  we  ask 
ol"  him,  we  shall  obtain.' '  And  St.  James  affirms,  that 
•  the  eft'ectuul  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous  man 
iivaileth  much.'*  And  our  blessed  Saviour,  limit- 
ing the  confidence  of  our  prayers  for  forgiveness  to 
our  charily  and  forgiving  others,  plainly  tells  us, 
that  the  uiicliarital)le  and  unrighteous  person  shall 
not  be  heard.  And  the  blind  man  in  the  gospel 
understood  well  what  lie  said:  'Now  we  know  that 
God  heiireth  not  sinners:  but  if  any  man  be  a 
worshipper,  and  doth  his  will,  him  he  heareth." 
And  it  was  so  decreed  and  resolved  a  point  in  the 
doctrine  of  their  religion,  that  it  was  a  proverbial 
Siiying.  And  although  this  discourse  of  the  blind 
man  was  of  a  restrained  occasion,  and  signified,  if 
Christ  had  been  a  false  prophet,  God  would  not 
have  attested  his  sermons  with  the  power  of  mira- 
cles ;  yet  in  general  also  he  had  been  taugiit  by 
David,  '  If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart,  theLoid 
will  not  hear  my  prayer.'  And,  therefore,  when 
men  *  pray  in  every  place,  (for  so  they  are  com- 
manded,') let  them  lift  up  pure  hands  without  an- 
ger and  contention.'*  And,  indeed,  although  €very 
Siin  entertained  with  a  free  choice  and  a  full  under- 
standing is  an  obstruction  to  our  prayers,  yet  the 
special  sin  of  uncharilableness  makes  the  biggesi 
cloud,  and  is,  in  the  proper  matter  of  it,  an  indis- 
position for  us  to  i"eceive  mercy.  For  he  who  is 
softened  with  apprehension  of  his  own  needs  of 
mercy,  will  be  tender-hearted  towards  his  brother; 


'    I  John,  iii.  21,  22.       '  .Tames,  v.  I«.       J  John,  ix.  31. 
•  P«*l.  Ixvi.  IR;   1  Tim.  ii.  a 


ni4  OF    PRAYtR. 

und  llieiefore  he  that  hath  no  bowels  here,  can  have 
no  aptness  there  to  receive  or  heartily  to  hope  for 
mercy.  But  this  rule  is  to  be  understood  of  per- 
sons who  persevere  in  the  habit  and  remanent  af- 
fections of  sin  :  so  I  on  ^2^  as  they  entertain  sin  witK 
Jove,  complacency,  and  joy,  they  are  in  a  state  of 
enmity  with  God,  and  therefore  in  no  fit  disposi- 
tion to  receive  pardon  and  the  entertainment  of 
friends.  But  penitent  sinners  and  returning  souls, 
laden  and  grieved  with  their  heavy  pressures,  are, 
next  to  holy  innocents,  the  aptest  [)ersons  in  the 
world  to  be  heard  in  their  prayers  for  pardon  ;  but 
they  are  in  no  further  disposition  to  large  favours, 
and  more  eminent  charities.  A  sinner  in  the  be- 
ginning of  his  penance  will  be  heard  for  himself, 
and  yet  also  he  needs  the  prayers  of  holy  persons 
more  signally  than  others;  for  he  hath  but  some 
very  few  degrees  of  dispositions  to  reconciliation; 
l)ut  in  prayers  of  intercession  or  mediation  for 
others,  only  holy  and  very  pious  persons  are  fit  to 
be  interested.  All  men,  as  matter  of  duty,  must 
pray  for  all  men  :  but  in  the  great  necessities  of  a 
j)rince,  of  a  church,  or  kingdom,  or  of  a  family,  or 
in  a  great  danger  and  calamity  to  a  single  person, 
only  a  Noah,  a  David,  a  Daniel,  a  Jeremiah,  an 
Enoch,  or  Job  are  fit  and  proportioned  advocates. 
God  so  requires  holiness  in  us  that  our  prayers 
may  be  accepted,  that  he  entertains  them  in  several 
degrees  according  to  the  degrees  of  our  sanctity;  to 
fiewer  or  more  purposes,  according  as  we  are  little 
«>r  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  As  for  those 
irregular  donations  of  good  things  which  wicked 
])ersons  ask  for  and  have,  they  are  either  no  mer- 
cies, but  instruments  of  cursing  and  crime  ;  or  else 
they  are  designs    of  grace,  intended   to   convince 


OF    CHAYKR.  315 

them  of  their  unvvortliiness;  and  so,  if  they  become 
not  instnimenls  of  their  conversion,  they  are  aggra- 
vations of  their  ruin. 

14.  Secondly,  The  second  condition  I  have  al- 
ready explained  in  the  description  of  the  matter  of 
our  prayers.  For  although  we  may  lawfully  ask 
for  whatsoever  we  need,  and  this  leave  is  consigned 
to  us  in  those  words  of  our  hlessed  Saviour,  '  Your 
heavenly  Father  knoweth  what  you  have  need  of;' 
yet  because  God's  providence  walks  in  the  great 
deep,  that  is,  his  footsteps  are  in  the  water,  and 
leave  no  impression,  no  former  act  of  grace  be- 
comes a  precedent  that  he  will  give  us  that  in  kind, 
which  then  he  saw  convenient,  and  therefore  gave 
us;  and  now  he  sees  to  be  inconvenient,  and 
therefore  does  deny.  Therefore  in  all  things,  but 
what  are  matter  of  necessary  and  mingled  duty, 
we  must  send  up  our  prayers ;  but  1  umility 
mortification,  and  conformity  to  the  divine  will 
must  attend  for  an  answer,  and  bring  back,  not 
what  the  public  embassy  pretentis,  but  what  they 
have  in  private  instructions  to  desire ;  accounting 
that  for  the  best  satisAiclion  which  God  pleases, 
not  what  I  have  either  unnecessarily,  or  vainly,  or 
sinfully  desired. 

15.  Thirdly,  When  our  persons  are  disposed  by 
siuictily,  and  the  matter  of  our  prayers  is  hallowed 
by  prudence  aiul  relii;ions  intendments,  then  we 
are  bound  to  entertnin  a  full  persuasion  and  confi- 
dent hope  that  God  vnll  hear  us.  '  What  things  so- 
ever ye  desire  wlien  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive 
them,  and  ye  shall  obtain  them,'  said  our  l)lessed 
Sa\  ionr.     And  St.  .Tames  taught  froiu  that  oracle. 

Mar.  xi.  24. 


3IG  OF    rRAYLR. 

'  If  any  ofyou  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  it  of  God: 
but  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering ;  for  he 
that  wavereth,  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea,  driven  with 
the  wind,  and  tossed  to  and  fro.''  Meaning,  that 
when  there  is  no  fault  in  the  matter  of  our  prayers, 
but  that  we  ask  things  pleasing  to  God,  and  there 
is  no  indisposition  and  hostility  in  our  persons  and 
manners  between  God  and  us,  then  to  doubt  were 
10  distrust  God  :  for  all  being  right  on  our  parts,  if 
we  doubt  the  issue,  the  defailance  must  be  on  that 
part,  which  to  suspect  were  infinite  impiety.  But 
after  we  have  done  all  we  can,  if,  out  of  humility 
and  fear  that  we  are  not  truly  disposed,  we  doubt 
of  the  issue,  it  is  a  modesty  whicii  will  not  at  all 
discommend  our  persons,  nor  impede  the  event; 
provided  we  at  no  hand  suspect  either  God's  power 
or  veracity.  Putting  trust  in  God  is  an  excellent 
advantage  to  our  prayers:  '  I  will  deliver  him, 
saith  God,  '  because  he  hath  put  his  trust  in  me. 
And  yet  distrusting  ourselves,  and  suspecting  our 
own  dispositions,  as  it  pulls  us  back  in  our  actual 
confidence  of  the  event,  so,  because  it  abates  no- 
thing of  our  confidence  in  God,  it  prepares  us  to 
receive  the  reward  of  humility,  and  not  to  lose  the 
praise  of  a  holy  trusting  in  the  Almighty. 

16.  These  conditions  are  essential:  some  other 
there  are  which  are  incidents  and  accessories,  but 
at  no  hand  to  be  neglected.  And  the  first  is  actual 
or  habitual  attention  to  our  prayers,  which  we  are 
to  procure  with  moral  and  severe  endeavours,  that 
we  desire  not  God  to  hear  us  when  we  do  not  hear 
ourselves.*  To  which  purpose  we  must  avoid,  as 
much  as  our  duty  will  permit  us,  multiplicity  of 

'  James.  i..'»,  (i.  '  Ecclus.  xxxv.   1?;  Psalm  cii.  I?. 


UK    JMIAVKR.  ;il7 

cares  and  exterior  eni|)loyments.  For  a  river  cut 
into  many  rivulets,  divides  also  its  strenfjlli,  and 
grows  contemptiMe  and  ajjt  to  l)e  forded  by  a  lanih, 
and  drunk  uj)  by  a  suinnier-sun  :  so  is  the  spirit 
of  man,  busied  in  variety  and  divided  in  itself;  it 
abates  its  fervour,  cools  into  indifl'erency,  and  be- 
comes triflin}^  by  its  dispersion  and  inadvertency. 
Aquinas  was  once  asked,  with  what  compendium 
a  man  mi^iit  best  become  learned.  He  answered, 
''  By  reading  of  one  book  :  "  meuninir,  that  an  un- 
derstanding entertained  with  several  objects  is 
intent  upon  neither,  and  profits  not.  And  so  it  is 
when  we  pray  to  God  ;  if  the  cares  of  the  world 
intervene,  they  choke  our  desires  into  an  indiffer- 
ency,  and  suppress  the  flame  into  a  smoke,  and 
strangle  the  spirit.  But  this  being  an  habitual 
carelessness,  an  intemperance  of  spirit,  is  an 
enemy  to  an  habitual  attention,  and  therefore  is 
nighly  criminal,  and  makes  our  prayers  to  be  but 
the  labour  of  the  lips,  because  our  desires  are  les- 
sened by  the  remanent  affections  of  the  world. 
But  besides  an  habitual  attention  in  our  prayers 
that  is,  a  desire  in  general  of  all  that  our  j)rayers 
pretend  to  in  particular,  there  is  also  (or  the  accom- 
modation, and  lo  facilitate  the  access  of  our  prayers, 
required,  that  we  attend  actually  to  the  words,  or 
sense  of  every  collect  or  petition.  To  this  we  must 
contend  with  prayer,  with  actual  dereliction  and 
Reposition  of  all  our  other  aftairs,  though  innocent 
and  good  in  other  kinds,  by  a  present  spirit.  And 
the  use  of  it  is,  that  such  attention  is  an  actual 
conversing  with  God  ;  it  occasions  the  exercise  of 
many  acts  of  virtue,  it  increases  zeal  and  fervency, 
and  by  reflection  enkindles  love  and  holy  desires. 
And  although  there  is  no   rule  to  determine  the 


MIS  <tF    PRAYEIl. 

degree  of  our  actual  attention,  and  it  b  ordinarily 
impos«;il)le  never  to  wander  with  a  thought,  or  to 
be  interrupted  with  a  sudden  emission  into  our 
spirit  in  the  midst  of  prayers;  yet  our  duty  is,  by 
mortification  of  our  secular  desires,  by  suppression 
of  all  our  irregular  passions,  by  reducing  them  to 
indifferency,  by  severity  of  spirit,  by  enkindling  our 
holy  appetites  and  desires  of  holy  things,  by  silence 
and  meditation  and  repose,  to  get  as  forward  in  this 
excellency  as  we  can.  To  which  also  we  may  be 
very  much  helped  bj'  ejaculatory  prayers  and  short 
breathings:  in  whichas,  by  reason  of  their  short  abode 
upon  the  spirit,  there  is  less  fear  of  diversion,  so 
also  they  may  so  often  be  renewed,  that  nothing  of 
the  devotion  may  be  unspent  or  expire  for  want  of 
oil  to  feed  and  entertain  tiie  flame.  But  the  de- 
termination of  the  case  of  conscience  is  this:  I. 
Habitual  attention  is  absolutely  necessary  in  our 
prayers;  that  is,  it  is  altogether  our  duty  to  desire 
of  God  all  that  we  pray  for.  though  our  mind  be 
not  actually  attending  to  the  form  of  words;  and 
therefore  all  worldly  desires,  that  are  inordinate, 
must  be  rescinded,  that  we  may  more  earnestly 
attend  on  God  than  on  the  world.  He  that  prays 
10  God  to  give  him  the  gift  of  chastity,  and  yet 
secretly  wishes  rather  for  an  opportunity  of  lust, 
and  desires  God  would  not  hear  him,  (as  St.  Austin 
confesses  iiimself  in  his  youth,)  that  man  sins  for 
want  of  holy  and  habitual  desires  ;  he  prays  only 
witli  his  lips,  what  he  in  no  sense  attests  in  his 
heart.  2.  Actual  attention  to  our  prayers  is  also 
necessary,  not  ever  to  avoid  sin,  but  that  the  pre- 
sent prayer  become  effectual.  He  that  means  to 
feast,  and  to  get  thanks  of  God,  must  invite  the 
poor:  and  yet   he  that  invites  tiie  rich,  in  tlial  he 


<»F    I'UAVI'.K.  319 

sins  not,  ihougli  he  liatli  no  reward  of  God  for  that. 
So  tluit  prayer  perislies  to  whiclt  the  man  gives  no 
decree  of  actual  attention :  fur  the  prayer  is  as  if 
it  were  not ;  it  is  no  more  than  a  dream,  or  an  act 
of  custom  and  order,  nothing  of  devotion  ;  and  so 
accidentally  becomes  a  sin,  (I  mean  there  wliere 
and  in  what  degrees  it  is  avoidable,)  by  taking 
(lod's  name  in  vain.  3.  It  is  not  necessary  to  the 
prevalency  of  the  prayer,  that  the  spirit  actually 
accompany  every  clause  or  worti ;  if  it  says  a 
hearty  Amen,  or  in  any  part  of  it  attests  the  whole, 
it  is  such  an  attention  which  the  present  condition 
of  most  men  w  ill  sometimes  permit.  4.  A  w  an- 
dering  of  the  spirit  through  carelessness,  or  any 
vice,  or  inordinate  {)assion,  is  in  that  degree  cri- 
minal as  is  the  cause,  and  it  is  heightened  by  the 
greatness  of  the  interruption,  o.  It  is  only  excused 
by  our  endeavours  to  cure  it,  and  by  our  after  acts, 
either  of  sorrow  or  repetition  of  the  prayer,  and 
reinforcing  the  intention.  And  certainly,  if  we 
repeat  our  prayer,  in  which  we  have  observed  our 
spirits  too  much  to  wander,  and  resolve  still  to 
repeal  it,  (as  our  opportunities  permit,)  it  may  in  a 
good  degree  defeat  the  purpose  of  the  enemy,  when 
his  own  arts  sliall  return  upon  his  head,  and  the 
wandering  of  our  spirits  be  made  the  occasion  of  a 
praytr,  and  the  parent  of  a  new  devotion.  (>. 
Lastly,  according  to  the  degrees  of  our  actual  at- 
tention, so  our  prayers  are  more  or  less  perfect :  a 
present  spirit  being  a  great  instrument  and  testi- 
mony of  wisdom,  and  apt  to  many  great  purposes; 
and  our  continual  abode  with  (iod  being  a  great 
endearment  of  our  persons  by  increasing  the  afVcc- 
tions. 

17.  Secondly,  The  second  accessory  is  intention 


3C'0  OF    PRAYER. 

of  spirit,  or  fervency  ;  such  as  wns  that  of  orir 
Messed  Saviour,  who  prayed  to  his  Father  with 
strong  cries  and  loud  petitions,  not  clamorous  in 
language,  but  strong  in  spirit.  St.  Paul  also, 
when  l)e  was  pressed  with  a  strong  temptation, 
prayed  thrice;  that  is,  earnestly ;  and  St.  James 
affirms  this  to  be  of  great  value  and  efficacy  to  the 
obtaining  blessings:  '  The  effectual  fervent  prayer 
of  a  just  pereon  avails  much  ;'  and  Elias,  though  a 
man  of  like  passions,  yet  by  earnest  prayer  he  ob- 
tained rain  or  drought,  according  as  he  desired. 
Now  this  is  properly  produced  by  the  greatness 
of  our  desire  of  heavenly  things,  our  true  value 
and  estimate  of  religion,  our  sense  of  present  pres- 
sures, our  fears;  and  it  hath  some  accidental  in- 
creases by  the  disposition  of  our  body,  the  strength 
of  fancy,  and  the  tenderness  of  spirit,  and  assiduity 
of  the  dropping  of  religious  discourses  ;  and  in  all 
men  is  necessary  to  be  so  great,  as  that  we  prefer 
heaven  and  religion  before  the  world,  and  desire 
them  rather,  with  the  choice  of  our  wills  and  un- 
derstanding. Though  there  cannot  always  be  that 
degree  of  sensual,  pungent,  or  delectable  affections 
towards  religion,  as  towards  the  desires  of  nature 
and  sense  ;  yet  ever  we  must  prefer  celestial  ob- 
jects, restraining  the  appetites  of  the  world,  lest 
they  be  immoderate,  and  heightening  the  desires  of 
grace  and  glory,  lest  they  become  indifferent,  and 
the  fire  upon  the  altar  of  incense  be  extinct.  But 
the  greater  zeal  and  fervour  of  desire  we  have  in 
our  prayers,  the  sooner  and  the  greater  will  the 
return  of  the  prayer  be,  if  the  prayer  be  for  spiri- 
tual objects.  For  other  things,  our  desires  must 
be  according  to  our  needs,  not  by  a  value  derived 
from  the  nature  of  the  thing,  but  the  usefulness  it 


(ir    I'HAYKR.  3-?  I 

Is  of  to  US  in  order  to  our   g^reuter  and  better  pur- 
poses. 

18.  Thirdly,  Of  the  same  consideration  it  is  that 
we.  •■  persevere  and  be  importunate''  in  our  prayers, 
by  repetition  of  our  desires,  and  not  remittinjj  ei- 
ther our  affections  or  our  offices,  till  God,  over- 
tome  by  our  importunity,  give  a  fjracious  answer. 
Jacob  wrestled  with  the  angel  all  night,  and  would 
not  dismiss  him  till  he  had  given   him  a  blessing. 
'  Let  me  alone,'  saith  God  ;  as  if  he  felt  a  pressure 
and   burden    lying   upon  him   by  our   prayers,  or 
could  not  quit  himself,  nor  depart,  unless  we  give 
him   leave.     And   since  God   is  detained   by   our 
prayers,  and    we   may  keep    him    as   long   as    we 
please,  and  that  he  will  not  go  away  till  we  leave 
speaking  to  him ;  he  that  will   dismiss  him  till  he 
hath  his  blessing  knows  not  the  value  of  his  bene- 
diction, or  understands  not  the  energy  and  power 
of  a   persevering   prayer.      And    to  this   purpose 
Christ  'spake  a  parable,  that  men  ought  always  to 
pray,  and  nc)t  faint."  '  Praying  without  ceasing,'  St. 
Paul  calls  it;  that  is,  with  continual  addresses,  fre- 
quent interpolations,  never  ceasing  the  renewing 
the  request  till  I  obtain  my  desire.      For  it  is  not 
enough  to  recommend  our  desires  to  God  with  one 
hearty   prayer,   and    then   forget    to  ask   him   any 
more ;   but  so  long  as  our  needs  continue,  so  long 
in  all  limes,  and  upon  all  occasions,  to  renew  and 
repeat  our  desires:  and  this  is  praj  ing  continually. 
Just  as  the  widow   did  to  the  unjust  judge;  she 
never  left  going  to  him,  she  troubled  him  every 
day  with   her  clamorous   suit;    so   must   we   pray 
always;  that  is,  every  day,  and  many  times  every 

'   Ty  irpoaivxy  irpotTKapripifTti;  Rom.  xii.  12. 
*     Luke,  xvi'i.  I 
v«u..    II.  -21 


322  OF    CRAVErt 

day,  according  to  our  occasions  and  necessities,  or 
our  devotion  and  zeal,  or  as  we  are  determined  by 
the  customs  and  laws  of  a  church ;  never  givinif 
over  through  weariness  or  distrust,  often  renewing 
our  desires  by  a  continual  succession  of  devotions, 
returning  at  certain  and  determinate  periods.  For 
God's  blessings,  though  they  come  infallibly,  yet 
not  always  speedily.  Saving  only  that  it  is  a 
blessing  to  be  delayed,  that  we  may  increase  our 
desire,  and  renew  our  prayers,  and  do  acts  of  con- 
fidence and  patience,  and  ascertain  and  increase 
the  blessing  when  it  comes.  For  we  do  not  more 
desire  to  be  blessed,  than  God  does  to  hear  us  im- 
portunate for  blessing;  and  he  weighs  every  sigh, 
and  bottles  up  every  tear,  and  records  every  prayer, 
and  looks  through  the  cloud  with  delight  to  see  us 
upon  our  knees  ;  and  when  he  sees  his  time,  his 
light  breaks  through  it,  and  shines  upon  us.  Only 
we  must  not  make  our  accounts  for  God  according 
to  the  course  of  the  sun,  but  th.e  measures  of  eter- 
nity, lie  measures  us  by  our  needs,  and  we  must 
not  measure  him  by  our  impatience.  '  Ciod  is  not 
slack,  as  some  men  count  slackness,'  saith  the 
apostle ;  and  we  find  it  so,  when  we  have  waited 
long.  All  the  elapsed  time  is  no  part  of  the  te- 
diousness ;  the  trouble  of  it  is  passed  wilh  itself: 
and  for  the  future,  we  know  not  how  little  it  may 
be  ;  for  aught  we  know  we  are  already  entered  into 
the  cloud  that  brings  the  blessing.  However,  pray 
till  it  comes  ;  for  we  shall  never  miss  to  receive  our 
desire,  if  it  be  holy,  or  innocent,  and  safe  ,  or  else 
we  are  sure  of  a  great  reward  of  our  prayers. 

19.  And  in  this  so  determined,  there  is  no  dan- 
ger of  blasphemy  or  vain  repetitions.  For  those 
repetitions  are   vain   which   repeat   the  words,  not 


or   iMiAYLu.  32.< 

the  devotion;  which  renew  the  expression,  and  not 
the  desire :  and  he  that  may  pray  the  same  prayer 
to-morrow  which  he  said  to-day,  may  pray  the 
same  at  niglit  which  he  said  in  tlie  morning,  anrl 
the  same  at  noon  wliich  he  said  at  night;  and  bo 
in  all  the  hours  of  prayer,  and  in  all  the  opportu- 
nities of  devotion.  Christ,  in  his  agony,  '  went 
thrice,  and  said  tiie  same  words,'  hut  he  had  inter- 
vals for  rej)etition  ;  and  his  need  and  his  devotion 
pressed  him  forward.  And  whenever  our  needs  do 
so,  it  is  all  one  if  we  say  the  same  words  or  others, 
so  we  express  our  desire,  and  tell  our  needs,  and 
beg  the  remedy.  In  the  same  office  and  the  same 
hour  of  prayer  to  rejieat  the  same  things  often 
liath  but  few  excuses  to  make  it  reasonable,  and 
fewer  to  make  it  pious.  But  to  think  that  the 
prayer  is  better  for  such  repetition,  is  the  fault 
which  the  holy  Jesus  condemned  in  the  Gentiles, 
who  in  their  hymns  woulil  say  a  name  over  an 
Imndred  timtfs.  But  in  this  we  have  no  rule  to 
determine  us  in  numbers  and  proportion,  but  right 
reason.  God  loves  not  any  words  the  more  for 
being  said  often ;  and  those  repetitions  which  are 
unreasonal>le  in  prudent  estimation,  cannot  in  any 
account  be  esteemed  pious.  But  where  a  reason- 
nVile  cause  allows  the  repetition,  the  same  cause 
that  makes  it  reasonable,  makes  it  also  proper 
for  devotion.  He  that  speaks  his  needs,  and  ex- 
presses nothing  but  his  fervour  and  greatness  of 
desire,  cannot  be  vain  or  long  in  his  prayers.  lie 
that  speaks  impertinently,  that  is,  unreasonably 
und  without  desires,  is  long,  though  he  speak 
but  two  syllables.  He  that  thinks  for  speaking- 
much  to  be  heard  the  sooner,  thinks  God  is  de- 
lighted   in    tlie   labour   of  the    lips.      But    when 


324  OF    PRAYEK. 

reason  is  the  guide,  and  piety  is  the  rule,  and 
necessity  is  the  measure,  and  desire  gives  the  pro- 
portion, let  the  prayer  be  very  long :  he  that  shall 
blame  it  for  its  length,  must  proclaim  his  disrelish 
both  of  reason  and  religion,  his  despite  of  necessity, 
and  contempt  of'zeal. 

20.  As  a  part  and  instance  of  our  importunity 
in  prayer,  it  is  usually  reckoned  and  advised,  that 
in  cases  of  great,  sudden,  and  violent  need,  we  cor- 
roborate our  prayers  with  a  vow  of  doing  some- 
thing holy  and  religious  in  an  uncommanded  in- 
stance, something  to  which  God  had  not  formerly 
bound  our  duty,  though  fairly  invited  our  will :  or 
else,  if  we  choose  a  duty  in  which  we  were  obliged, 
then  to  vow  the  doing  of  it  in  a  more  excellent 
manner,  with  a  greater  inclination  of  the  nill,  with 
a  more  fervent  repetition  of  the  acts,  with  some 
more  noble  circumstance,  with  a  fuller  assent  of 
the  understanding;  or  else  adding  a  new  promise 
to  our  old  duty,  to  make  it  become  more  necessary 
to  us,  and  to  secure  our  duty.  In  this  case,  as  it 
requires  great  prudence  and  caution  in  the  susce])- 
tion,  lest  what  we  piously  intend  obtain  a  present 
blessing,  and  lay  a  lasting  snare;  so  if  it  be  pru- 
dent in  the  manner,  holy  in  the  matter,  useful  in 
the  consequence,  and  safe  in  all  the  circumstances 
of  the  person,  it  is  an  endearing  us  and  our  prayer 
to  God  by  the  increase  of  duty  and  charity,  and 
therefore  a  more  probable  way  of  making  our 
prayers  gracious  and  acceptable.  And  the  reli- 
gion of  vows  was  not  only  hallowed  by  the  exam[)le 
of  Jacob  at  Bethel,  of  Hannah  praying  for  a  child 
and  God  hearing  her,  of  David  vowing  a  temple  to 
God,  and  made  regular  and  safe  by  the  rules  and 
cautions   in    .Moses's   law,  Init   left  l>v  f^ur  blessed 


Saviour  in  the  same  constitution  lie  found  it,  he 
haviniT  innovaled  nolliintif  in  the  matter  of  vows. 
And  it  was  practised  accorclinjjly  in  the  instance  oi 
St.  Paul  at  Cenchrea;  of  Ananias  and  Saj)phira, 
who  vowed  tiieir  possessions  to  the  use  of  the 
church ;  and  of  the  widows  in  the  apostolical  age, 
who  therefore  vowed  to  remain  in  the  state  of  wi- 
dowhood, because  concerning  tliem  who  married 
after  the  entry  into  religion  St.  Paul  says,  '  they 
have  broken  their  first  faitli.'  And  such  were  they  of 
whom  our  blessed  Saviour  affirms,  '  that  some 
make  themselves  eunuchs  for  the  kingdom  of  hea- 
ven ;'  that  is,  such  who  promise  to  God  a  life  of 
chastity.  And  concerning  the  success  of  prayer  so 
seconded  with  a  prudent  and  religious  vow%  besides 
the  instances  of  Scripture,"  we  have  the  perpetual 
experience  and  witness  of  all  Christendom  :  and  in 
particular  our  Saxon  kings  have  been  remarked  for 
this  part  of  importunity  in  their  own  chronicles, 
Oswy  got  a  great  victory  with  unlikely  forces 
against  Penda  the  Dane,  after  his  earnest  jirayer, 
and  an  appendant  vow :  and  Ceadwalla  obtained 
of  God  power  to  recover  the  Isle  of  Wight  from 
the  hands  of  infidels,  after  he  had  prayed,  and  pro- 
mised to  return  the  fourtli  part  of  it  to  be  employed 
in  the  proper  services  of  God  and  of  religion. 
This  can  have  no  objection  or  suspicion  in  it  among 
wise  and  disabused  persons;  for  it  can  be  nothing 
but  an  increasing  and  a  renewed  act  of  duty,  or 
devotion,  or  zeal,  or  charity,  and  the  im))ortunity 
of  prayer  acted  in  a  more  vital  and  real  expression. 
21.  All  else  that  is  to  be  considered  coneerning 
j)rayer  is  extrinsical   and    accidental  to  it.     First, 

■   Eccles.  V.  4,  6  ;  Psal.  cxxxii.  1,  2  ;  Dcut.  \xiii.  21  ;  Acta, 
xviii.  18. 


3'?()  or  1*11  AVER. 

prayer  is  puMic  or  private  ;  in  the  communion  or 
society  of  saints,  or  in  our  closets  :  these  prayen 
have  less  temptation  to  vanity;  the  other  have 
more  advantages  of  charity,  example,  fervour,  and 
energy.  In  public  offices  we  avoid  singularity,  in 
the  private  we  avoid  hypocrisy.  Those  are  of  more 
edification,  tliese  of  great  retiredness  and  silence  of 
spirit:  those  serve  the  needs  of  all  the  world  in  the 
first  intention,  and  our  own  by  consequence  ;  these 
serve  our  own  needs  first,  and  the  public  only  by  a 
secondary  intention  :  these  have  more  pleasure, 
they  more  duty  :  these  are  the  best  instruments  of 
repentance,  where  our  confessions  may  be  more 
particular,  and  our  shame  less  scandalous;  the 
other  are  better  for  eucharist  and  instruction,  for 
edification  of  the  church  and  glorification  of  God. 

22.  Secondly,  The  posture  of  bodies  in  prayer 
had  as  great  variety  as  the  ceremonies  and  civi- 
lities of  several  nations  came  to.  The  Jews  most 
commonly  prayed  standing:  so  did  the  Pliarisee 
and  the  Publican  in  the  temple;'  so  did  the  pri- 
mitive Cliristians  in  all  their  greater  festivals  and 
intervals  of  jubilee  :  in  their  penances  they  kneeled. 
The  monks  in  Cassian  sat  when  they  sang  the 
Psalter.     And  in  every  country,  whatsoever  by  the 

'  Nehem.  ix.  5;  Mark.  xi.  25;   Luke,  xviii.  11. 
Adoraturi  sedeant,  dixit  Numa  Pompilius  apud  Plutarch,  id 
est,  sint  sedato  animo.     Et  icnSi/o'^at  TvpoaKvviiaovTa^  dictum 
proverbialiter  ad  eundem  sensum.  Vide  S.  Aug.  lib.  iii.  c.  5,  de 
Cura  pro  mortuis. 

Depositisque  suis  ornamcntis  pretiosi?, 
Simplicis  et  tenuis  fruitur  vela:iiine  vestis, 
Inter  sacratos  noctis  venerabilis  hyninos 
Intrans  nudatis  templi  sacra  limina  plantis 
Et  protio  sacram  vultu  prostratus  ad  arani ; 
Corpus  frigoreiB  sociavit  nobile  terrae. 

S.  Kosweid  dc  Hen.  Imper.  et  de  Othcn. 


OF    PRAYER.  3^7 

custom  of  the  nation  was  a  symbol  of  reverence 
and  humility,  of  silence  and  attention,  of  gravity 
and  modesty,  that  posture  they  translated  to  their 
prayers.  But  in  all  nations  bowing  the  head,  that 
is,  a  laying  down  our  glory  at  the  feet  of  God,  was 
the  manner  of  worshippers.  And  this  was  always 
the  more  humble  and  the  lower,  as  their  devotion 
was  higher ;  and  w  as  very  often  expressed  by 
prostration,  or  lying  flat  upon  the  ground  :  and 
this  all  nations  did  and  all  religions.  Our  de- 
portment ought  to  be  grave,  decent,  humble,  apt 
for  adoration,  apt  to  edify :  and  when  we  address 
ourselves  to  prayer,  not  instantly  to  leap  into  the 
office,  as  the  judges  of  the  Areopage  into  their  sen- 
tence, without  j)reface  or  preparatory  afl'ections; 
but,  considering  in  what  |)resence  we  speak,  and 
to  what  purposes,  let  us  balance  our  fervour  with 
reverential  fear  :  and  when  we  have  tlone,  not  rise 
from  the  ground  as  if  we  vaulted,  or  were  glad  we 
had  done  ;  but,  as  we  begin  with  desires  of  assist- 
ance, so  end  with  desires  of  pardon  and  acceptance, 
concluding  our  longer  offices  with  a  shorter  mental 
prayer  of  more  private  reflection  and  reverence, 
designing  to  mend  w  hat  we  have  done  amiss,  or  to 
give  thanks  and  proceed  if  we  did  well,  and  accord- 
ing to  our  powers. 

23.  Thirdly,  In  private  prayers  it  is  permitted  to 
every  man  to  speak  his  prayers,  or  only  to  think 
ihem,  which  is  a  speaking  to  God.  Vocal  or 
mental  prayer  is  ad  one  to  God,  but  in  order  to  us 
they  have  tlieir  several  advantages.  The  sacrifice 
of  the  heart  and  the  calves  of  the  lips  make  up  u 
holocaust  to  God.  But  words  are  the  arrest  of  the 
desires,  and  keep  the  spirit  fixed,  and  in  less  per- 
missions  to    wander  from    fancy   to    fancy :    and 


3?8  Of     I'RAYKR. 

mental  prayer  is  a|)t  to  make  the  greater  fervour, 
if  it  wander  not.  Our  office  is  more  determined 
by  words ;  but  we  then  actually  think  of  God 
when  our  spirits  only  speak.  Mental  prayer,  when 
our  spirits  wander,  is  like  a  watch  standing  still 
because  the  spring  is  down  ;  wind  it  up  again,  and 
it  goes  on  regularly :  but  in  vocal  prayer,if  the  words 
run  on  and  the  spirit  wanders,  the  clock  strikes 
false,  the  hand  points  not  to  the  right  hour,  because 
something  is  in  disorder,  and  the  striking  is  nothing 
but  noise.  In  mental  prayer  we  confess  God's 
omniscience ;  in  vocal  prayer  we  call  the  angels  to 
witness.  In  the  first,  our  spirits  rejoice  in  God  ; 
in  the  second,  the  angels  rejoice  in  us.  Mental 
prayer  is  the  best  remedy  against  lightness  and 
indifferency  of  affections ;  but  vocal  prayer  is  the 
aptest  instrument  of  communion.  That  is  more 
angelical,  but  yet  fittest  for  the  state  of  separation 
and  glory  ;  this  is  but  human,  but  it  is  apter  for 
our  present  constitution  They  have  their  distinc* 
properties,  and  may  be  useci  according  to  severai 
accidents,  occasions,  or  dispositions. 


THE  PRAYER. 

I. 

O  holy  and  eternal  God,  who  hast  commanded  us  to  pray 
unto  thee  in  all  our  necessities,  and  to  give  thanks  unto  ihee  for 
all  our  instances  of  joy  and  blessing,  and  to  adore  thee  in  all  thy 
attributes  and  communications,  thy  own  glories,  and  thy  eternal 
mercies ;  give  unto  me,  thy  servant,  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  sup- 
plication, that  I  may  understand  what  is  good  for  me,  that  I  may 
desire  regularly,  and  choose  the  best  things,  that  I  may  conform 
to  thy  will,  and  submit  to  thy  disposing,  relinquishing  my  own 


nfleclions  anJ  iiiipiTJ'cot  choice.  Sanctity  my  hcr.rt  and  spirit, 
that  I  may  sanctiFy  tliy  nanu-,  and  that  I  may  be  gracious  an  1 
accepted  in  thine  eyes,  (iive  me  the  humility  and  obetlience  of 
a  servant,  that  I  may  also  have  the  hope  and  confidence  of  a 
Son,  making  humble  and  confident  addresses  to  the  throne  of 
grace;  that  in  all  my  necessities  I  may  come  to  thee  for  aids, 
and  may  trust  in  thee  for  a  gracious  answer,  and  may  receive  sa- 
tisfaction and  supply. 

II. 

(ii\  e  me  a  sober,  diligent,  and  recollected  spirit  in  my  jjrayers* 
neither  choked  with  cares,  nor  scattered  by  levity,  nor  discom_ 
posed  by  passion,  nor  estranged  from  thee  by  inadvertency,  bu 
fixed  fast  to  thee  by  the  indissoluble  bands  of  a  great  love  and  a 
pregnant  devotion.  And  let  the  beams  of  thy  Holy  Spirit  de- 
scending^from  above  enlighten  and  enkindle  it  with  great  fervours, 
and  holy  import\niity,  and  unwearied  industry  ;  that  I  may  serve 
thee,  and  obtain  ihy  blessing  by  the  assiduity  and  ieal  of  perpetual 
religious  offices.  Let  my  prayers  come  before  thy  presence,  and  the 
lifting  up  of  my  hands  be  a  daily  sacrifice,  and  let  the  fires  of  zeal 
not  go  out  by  night  or  day  ;  but  unite  my  prayers  to  the  inter- 
cession of  thy  holy  Jesus,  and  to  a  communion  of  those  offices 
which  angels  and  beatified  souls  do  pay  before  the  throne  of  the 
Lamb,  and  at  the  celestial  altar  :  that  my  prayers,  being  hallowed 
by  Uie  merits  of  Christ,  and  being  presented  in  the  phial  of  the 
saints,  may  ascend  thither  where  thy  glory  dwells,  and  from 
whence  mercy  and  eternal  benediction  descends  upon  the  church. 

III. 

hon],  change  my  sins  into  penitential  sorrow,  my  sorrow  to 
petition,  my  petition  to  eucharist ;  that  my  prayers  may  becori- 
tummate  in  the  adorations  of  eternity,  and  the  glorious  partici- 
pation of  the  end  of  our  hopes  and  prayers,  the  fulness  of  never- 
failing  charity  and  fruition  of  thee,  ()  holy  and  etcnial  God, 
blessed  Trinity,  and  mysterious  Unity,  to  whom  all  honour,  and 
worship,  and  thanks,  and  confession,  and  glory,  be  asctibed  foi 
ever  and  ever.     Ameiu 


330  OF    FASTING. 

DISCOURSE  xrii. 

Of  the  third  additional  Precept  of  Christ,  viz. 

Of  the  Manner  ofFastint/. 

1.  Fasting  being  directed  in  order  to  other  ends, 
as  for  mortifying  the  body,  taking  away  that  fuel 
which  ministers  to  the  flame  of  lust,  or  else  relating 
to  what  is  past,  when  it  becomes  an  instrument  of 
repentance,  and  a  part  of  that  revenge  which  St. 
Paul  affirms  to  be  tlie  effect  of  godly  sorrow,  is  to 
take  its  estimate  for  value,  and  its  rules  for  prac- 
tice, by  analogy  and  proportion  to  those  ends  to 
whicli  it  does  co-operate.  Fasting  before  the  holy 
sacrament  is  a  custom  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  derived  to  us  from  great  antiquity;  and  tiie 
use  of  it  is,  that  we  might  express  honour  to  the 
mystery,  by  suffering  nothing  to  enter  into  our 
mouths  before  the  symbols.  Fasting  to  this  pur- 
pose is  not  an  act  of  mortification,  but  of  reverence 
and  venerable  esteem  of  the  instruments  of  reli- 
gion, and  so  is  to  be  understood.  And  thus  also, 
not  to  eat  or  drink  before  we  have  said  our  morn- 
ing devotions,  is  esteemed  to  be  a  religious  decency, 
and  preference  of  prayer  and  God"s  honour  before 
our  temporal  satisfaction,  a  symbolical  attestation 
tliat  we  esteem  the  words  of  God's  mouth  more 
than  our  necessary  food.  It  is  like  the  zeal  of 
Altraham's  servant,  who  would  not  eat  nor  drink 
till  he  had  done  his  errand  :  and  in  pursuance  of 
this  act  of  religion,  by  the  tradition  of  their  father 
il  \ryew  to  be  a  custom  of  the  Jewish  nation,  tliat 
they  shouUl  not  eat  bread  upon  tlieir  solemn  festi- 


OF    FASTINQ.  331 

vals  before  the  sixth  hour;  that  they  mij^ht  first 
celebrate  the  rites  of  their  relio^ious  solemnities,  be- 
fore they  orave  satisfaction  to  the  lesser  desires  of 
nature.  And  tlierefore  it  was  a  reasonable  satis- 
faction of  the  objection  made  by  the  assembly 
against  the  inspired  apostles  in  pentecost,  '  These 
are  not  drunk,  as  ye  suppose,  seeing  it  is  but  the 
third  hour  of  the  day  :'  meaning-,  that  the  day 
l»eii)g  festival,  they  knew  it  was  not  lawful  for  any 
of  the  nation  to  break  their  fast  before  the  sixtii 
hour ;  for  else  they  might  easily  have  been  drunk 
by  the  third  hour,  if  they  had  taken  their  morn- 
ings drink  in  a  freer  proportion.  And  true  it  is 
that  religion  snatches  even  at  little  things  ;  and  as  it 
teaches  us  to  observe  all  the  great  commandments 
and  significations  of  duty,  so  it  is  not  willing  to 
pretermit  any  thing  which,  although  by  its  great- 
ness it  cannot  of  itself  be  considerable,  yet  by  its 
smallness  may  become  a  testimony  of  the  greatness 
of  the  affection,  which  would  not  omit  the  least 
minutes  of  love  and  duty.  And  therefore,  when 
the  .Tews  were  scandalized  at  the  disciples  of  our 
liord  for  rubbing  the  ears  of  corn  on  the  sabbath- 
day,  as  they  walked  through  the  fields  early  in  the 
morning,  they  intended  their  reproof,  not  for  break- 
ing the  rest  of  the  day,  but  the  solemnity  ;  for 
eating  before  the  public  devotions  were  finished. 
Christ  excused  it  by  the  necessity  and  charity  of 
the  act ;  they  were  hungry,  and  therefore,  having 
so  great  need,  they  might  lawfully  do  it ;  meaning, 
that  such  particles  and  circumstances  of  religion 
are  not  to  be  neglected,  unless  where  greater  cause 
of  cijarity  or  necessities  does  supervene. 

2.  But  when   fasting  is  in  order  to  greater  and 
more  concerning  purpost>s,  jt  puts  on  more  reli- 


332  OF    FASTINO. 

gion,  and  becomes  a  duty,  accordiuf;-  as  it  is  iiere«- 
sary  or  hiii;lily  couducins^  to  such  ends,  to  the  \)ro- 
nioting  of  which  we  are  bound  to  contribute  all 
our  skill  and  faculties.  Fasting  is  principally  ope- 
rative to  mortification  of  cariial  appetites,  to  which 
feasting-  and  full  tables  do  minister  aptness  and  power 
and  inclinations.  '  When  I  fed  them  to  the  full,  then 
they  committed  adultery,  and  assembled  by  troops 
in  the  harlots'  houses.'  And  if  we  observe  all  our 
own  vanities,  we  shall  find  that  upon  every  sudden 
joy,  or  a  prosperous  accident,  or  an  opulent  fortune, 
or  a  pampered  body,  and  highly  spirited  and  in- 
flamed, we  are  apt  to  rashness,  levities,  inconside- 
rate expressions,  scorn,  and  pride,  idleness,  wanton- 
ness, curiosity,  niceness,  and  impatience.  But 
fasting  is  one  of  those  afflictions  which  reduces  our 
body  to  want,  our  spirits  to  soberness,  our  condi- 
tion to  sufferance,  our  desires  to  abstinence  and 
customs  of  denial ;  and  so,  by  taking  off  the 
inundations  of  sensuality,  leaves  the  enemies  with- 
in in  a  condition  of  being  easilier  subdued.  Fast- 
ing directly  advances  towards  chastity;  and  by 
consequence  and  indirect  powers  to  patience,  and 
humility,  and  indifferency.  But  then  it  is  not 
the  fast  of  a  day  that  can  do  this;  it  is  not 
an  act,  but  a  state  of  fasting,  that  operates  u) 
mortification.  A  perpetual  temperance  and  fre- 
quent abstinence  may  abate  such  proportions  of 
strength  and  nutriment,  as  to  procure  a  body  mor- 
tified and  lessened  in  desires.  And  thus  St.  Paul 
kept  his  body  under,  using  severities  to  it  for  the 
taming  its  rebellions  and  distemperatures.  And  St. 
Jerome  reports  of  St.  Ililarion,'  that  when  he  had 

'  Hieron,  in  Vita  S.  Hilarion. 


OF    FASTING.  333 

fasted  nuicli,  and  used  coarse  diet,  and  found  his 
lust  too  stronjr  for  such  austerities,  he  resolved  to 
increase  it  to  tlie  degree  of  mastery,  lessening  his 
diet  and  increasin<j  his  liardship,  till  he  should 
rather  think  of  food  than  wantonness.  And  many 
timesthe  fastings  of  some  men  are  ineffectual,  because 
they  promise  themselves  cure  too  soon,  or  make  loa 
gentle  applications,  or  put  less  proportions  into 
their  antidotes.  I  have  read  of  a  maiden,  that, 
seeing  a  young  man  much  transported  with  her 
love,  and  that  he  ceased  not  to  importune  her  with 
all  the  violent  pursuits  that  passion  could  suggest, 
told  him,  she  had  made  a  vow  to  fast  forty  days 
with  bread  and  water,  of  whicli  she  must  discharge 
herself,  before  she  could  think  of  corresponding  to 
any  other  desire;  and  desired  of  him,  as  a  testi- 
mony of  his  love,  that  he  also  would  be  a  party  in 
the  same  vow.  The  young  man  undertook  it,  that 
he  might  give  probation  of  his  love  ;  but  because 
he  had  been  used  to  a  delicate  and  nice  kind  of 
life,  in  twenty  days  he  was  so  weakened  that  he 
thought  more  of  death  than  love;  and  so  got  a  cure 
for  his  intemperance,  and  was  wittily  cozened  into 
remedy.  But  St.  .Jerome's  counsel  in  this  ques- 
tion is  most  reasonable,  not  allowing  violent  and 
long  fasts,  and  then  returns  to  an  ordinary  course  ; 
for  these  are  too  great  changes  of  diet  to  consist 
with  health,  and  too  sudden  and  transient  to  ob- 
tain a  permanent  and  natural  effect :  but  "  a  belly 
always  hungry," '  a  talile  never  full,  a  meal  little  and 
necessary,  no  extravagance,  no  freer  repast,  this  is 
a  slate  of  fasting  which  will  be  found  to  be  of  best 
avail   to  suppress  pungent  lusts  an<l   rebellious  de- 

<  Parcus  cibiis,    ct  venter  sniiper   esunens   triduana  jejunw 
fupcrant,      S.  Hicron.  cp.  !!.  iid  I>emctriad. 


331  OF    FASTINW. 

sires.  And  it  utMe.  well  to  help  this  exercise  with 
the  assistances  of  such  austerities  which  teach  pa- 
tience, and  ingenerate  a  passive  fortitude,  and  ac- 
custom us  to  a  despite  of  pleasures,  and  which  are 
consistent  with  our  health  :  for  if  fasting  be  left  to 
do  the  work  alone,  it  may  chance  either  to  spoil  the 
body  or  not  to  spoil  the  lust.  Hard  lodging,  un- 
easy garments,  laborious  postures  of  prayer,  .jour- 
neys on  foot,  sufferance  of  cold,  paring  away  the  use 
of  ordinary  solaces,  denying  every  pleasant  appe- 
tite, rejecting  the  most  pleasant  morsels;  these  are 
in  the  rank  of  bodily  exercises,  which  though  (as 
St.  Paul  says)  of  themselves  '  they  profit  little,'  yet 
they  accustom  us  to  acts  of  self-denial  in  exterior 
instances,  and  are  not  useless  to  the  designs  of  mor- 
tifying carnal  and  sensual  lusts.  They  have  '  a 
proportion  of  wisdom''  with  these  cautions;  viz.  in 
will- worship  ;  that  is,  in  voluntary  susception,  when 
they  are  not  imposed  as  necessary  religion  :'  in  hu- 
mility; that  is,  without  contempt  of  others  that  use 
them  not :  '  in  neglecting  of  the  body  ;'  that  is,  when 
they  are  done  for  discipline  and  mortification,  that 
the  flesh  by  such  handlings  and  rough  usages  be- 
come less  satisfied  and  more  despised. 

',i.  As  fasting  hath  respect  to  the  future,  so  also  to 
the  present ;  and  so  it  operates  in  giving  assistance 
to  prayer.  There  is  a  kind  of  devil  that  is  not  to 
be  ejected  but  by  prayer  and  fasting ;  that  is,  prayer 
elevated  and  made  intense  by  a  defecate  and  pure 
spirit,  not  laden  with  the  burden  of  meat  and  va- 
])ours.       St.  Basil  affirms,  that  there  are   certain 

'  Colos.  ii.  23.  Aojov  aofpiag. 

'  El   Tit;  ITiKJKOTrOC,  &C.  ya/lS,  K/  KOtWV,  K)  oh'S  H   li  dtTKIJtTtl'f 

Can.  A  post  50. 


OF  FA>ri>o.  33ff 

aiigels  deputed  by  God  lo  n)ini!.ler,  and  to  de- 
scribe all  such  in  every  cliurch  who  mortify  ihem- 
ticlves  by  fasting;'  as  if  paleness  and  a  meagre 
visage  were  that  mark  in  the  forehead  which  the 
angel  observed,  when  he  signed  the  saints  in  Jeru- 
salem to  escape  the  judgment.  Prayer  is  the  wings 
of  the  soul,  and  fasting  is  the  wings  of  prayer.* 
Tertullian  calls  it,  the  nourishment  of  prayer.*  But 
this  is  a  discourse  of  Christian  philosophy;  and 
he  that  chooses  to  do  any  act  of  sj)irit,  or  understand- 
ing, or  attention  after  a  full  meal,  will  then  per- 
ceive that  abstinence  had  been  the  better  disposi- 
tion to  any  intellectual  and  spiritual  action.  And 
therefore  the  church  of  God  ever  joined  fasting  to 
their  more  solemn  offices  of  prayer.  The  apostles 
f;isted  and  prayeci  'when  they  laid  hands,'  and  in- 
vocated  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  Saul  and  Baniabas.* 
And  these  also, '  when  tliey  had  prayed  with  fiisting, 
ordained  elders  in  the  churches  of  L3'stra  and  Ico- 
nium.'*  And  the  vigils  of  every  holiday  tell  us, 
that  the  devotion  of  the  festival  is  promoted  by  the 
fast  of  the  vigils, 

4.  But  when  fasting  relates  to  what  is  past,  it 
becomes  an  instrument  ol"  repentance,  it  is  a  puni- 
tive and  an  afflictive  action,  an  effect  of  godly  sor- 
row, a  testimony  of  contrition,  '  a  judging  of  our- 
selves,' and  chastening  our  bodies,  '  that  we  be  not 


'  Serm.  v.  de  Jejun. 

'  Jejuniuni  aninia;  nostra;  aliincntuni,  leves  ei  penn&s  produ- 
cens.     !?.  l?eni.  J>cnn.  in  Vigil.  S.  .-Yndreae. 

'AKoicnr  iatiiofTa  'loiuvrtii;  H,  TTTifyofviiTavra  ti)v  4'i'X')*'* 
dixit  S   Chrysost. 

^  Jejiiniis  precesalerc,  lacryntari,  et  tnugire  noctes  dies  oe  ad 
l>ominum.     Tertull. 

'  Act^i,  xiii.  H. 

•  lliid.  xiv.  2:i. 


J33t>  OF    FASriNG. 

jadged  of  the  Lord,''  The  fast  of  the  Nineviles, 
and  the  fast  the  prophet  Joel  calls  for,  and  Uie 
discipline  of  the  Jews  in  the  rites  of  expiation,  pro- 
claim this  usefulness  of  fasting'  in  order  to  repent- 
ance. And  indeed  it  were  a  strange  repentance 
that  had  no  sorrow  in  it,  and  a  stranger  sorrow  that 
had  no  affliction ;  but  it  were  the  strangest  scene 
of  affliction  in  the  world,  when  the  sad  and  afflicted 
person  shall  eat  freely,  and  delight  himself,  and  lo 
the  banquets  of  a  full  table  serve  up  the  chalice  of 
tears  and  sorrow,  and  no  bread  of  affliction.  Cer- 
tainly he  that  makes  much  of  himself,  hath  no  great 
indignation  against  the  sinner,  when  himiself  is  the 
man.  And  it  is  but  a  gentle  revenge  and  an  easy 
judgment,  when  the  sad  sinner  shall  do  penance  in 
good  meals,  and  expiate  his  sin  with  sensual  satis- 
faction. So  that  fasting  relates  to  religion  in  all 
variety  and  difference  of  time;  it  is  an  antidote 
against  the  poison  of  sensual  temptations,  an  ad- 
vantag-e  to  prayer,  and  an  instrument  of  extinguish- 
ing the  guilt  and  the  affections  of  sin,  by  jutlging 
ourselves,  and  representing  in  a  judicatory  of  our 
own,  even  ourselves  being  judges,  that  sin  deserves 
condemnation,  and  the  sinner  merits  a  higii  cala- 
mity. Which  excellencies  I  repeat  in  the  words  o{ 
Baruch  the  scribe,  he  that  was  amanuensis  to  the 
prophet  Jeremiah  :  'The  soul  that  is  greatly  vexed, 
which  goeth  stooping  and  feeble,  and  the  eyes  that 
fail,  and  the  hungry  soul,  will  give  thee  praise  and 
righteousness,  O  Lord,' 

5.  But  now  as  fasting  hath  divers  ends,  so  also  it 
hath  divers  laws.  If  fasting  be  intended  as  an  in- 
strument of  prayer,  it  is  sufficient  that  it  be  of  that 

'  Mtrdvoia  xwp'C  vtj'iuag  apyr/.  S.  Ba«il.  Joel,  ii.  1ft  j 
Lcvit.  xxiii.  27.  &.C.;   Is«i   xxii.  12, 


OF    FASTING.  337 

qnalily  iu.d  dej/ree  thai  the  sj^irit  be  clear,  and  the 
head  undislnrlied  ;  an  ordinary  act  of  Cast,  an  ab- 
stinence from  a  meal,  or  a  deferring  it,  or  a  lessen- 
inpf  it  wiitru  it  comes,  and  the  same  abstinence  re- 
peated acLorilin<;;'to  the  solemnity  and  intendment  of 
llie  olhces.     And  this  is  evident  in  reason,  and  the 
former  instiinces,  and  the  practice  of  the  church, 
dissolvin'^-  some  of  her  fasts,  which   were  in  order 
only  to  prayer,  by  noon,  and   as  soon  as  the  great 
and  first  solemnity  of  the  day  is  over.     But  if  fast- 
ing  be   intended  as  a  punitive  act,  and  an  instru- 
ment of  repentance,  it  must  be  greater.     St.  Paul, 
at  his  conversion,  continued  three  days  without  eat- 
ing or  drinking.     It  must  have  in  it  so  much  afflic- 
tion as  to  express  the  indignation,  and  to  condemn 
the  sin,  and   to  judge  the  person.     And  although 
the  measure  of  this  cannot  be  exactly  determined, 
yet  the  general  proportion  is  certain  :  for  a  greater 
sin  there  must  be  a  greater  sorrow,  and  a  greater 
sorrow  must   be  attested    with  a  greater  penalty. 
And  Ezra  declares  his  purpose  thus  : '  I  proclaimed 
a  fast,  that  we  might  afflict  ourselves  before  God." 
Now  this  is  no  further  required,  nor  is  it  in  this 
sense  furtiier  useful,  but  that  it  be  a  trouble  to  the 
Ijody,  an  act  of  judging  and  severity ;  and  this  is  to 
be  judged   by  proportion  to  the  sorrow  and  indig- 
nation, as  the  sorrow  is  to  the  crime.    But  this  afflic- 
tion needs  not  to  leave  any  remanent  effect  upon 
the  body  ;  but  such  transient  sorrow  whicli  is  con- 
sequent to  tiie  abstinence  of  certain  times  designed 
for  the  solemnity,    is  sufficient  as  to  this  ])urpose. 
Only  it  is  to  be  renewed  often,  as  our  repentance 
must  V)e  habitual  and  lasting:  but  it  maybe  com- 

'  Ezra,  viii.  21.      Vid.  Dan.  x.  12;  Psal.  x\xv.  I.'J;   I.cvit, 
XTi.  2n.  HO,  31  ;    Isai.  Iviii.  3. 

vol..    II.  22 


338  OF    FASTING. 

muted  with  other  actions  of  severity  and  discipline, 
according  to  the  customs  of  a  church,  or  the  capa- 
city of  the  persons,  or  the  opportunity  of  circum- 
stances. But  it  the  fasting  be  intende<l  for  mortifi- 
cation, then  it  is  fit  to  be  more  severe,  and  medici- 
nal by  continuance,  and  quantity,  and  equality.  To 
repentance,  total  abstinences  without  interruption, 
that  is,  during  the  solemnity,  short  and  sharp,  are 
most  apt :  but  towards  the  mortifying  a  lust,  those 
short  and  sharp  fasts  are  not  reasonable ;  but  a  diet 
of  fasting,  an  habitual  subtraction  of  nutriment 
iVom  the  body,  a  long  and  lasting  austerity,  increas- 
ing in  degrees,  but  not  violent  in  any.  And  in  this 
sort  of  fasting  we  must  be  higiily  careful  we  do  not 
violate  a  duty  by  fondness  of  an  instrument,  and 
because  we  mtend  fasting  as  a  help  to  mortify 
the  lust,  let  it  not  destroy  the  body,  or  retard  the 
spirit,  or  violate  our  hea  th,  or  impede  us  in  any 
part  of  our  necessary  duty.  As  we  must  be  careful 
that  our  fast  be  reasonable,  serious,  and  apt  to  the 
end  of  our  designs,  so  we  must  be  curious  that  by 
helping  one  duty  uncertainly,  it  do  not  certainly 
destroy  another.  Let  us  do  it  like  honest  persons 
and  just,  without  artifices  and  hypocrisy  :  but  let 
us  also  do  it  like  wise  persons,  that  it  be  neither 
in  itself  unreasonable,  nor  by  accident  become 
criminal. 

('.  In  the  pursuance  of  this  discipline  of  fasting, 
the  doctors  of  the  church  and  guides  of  souls  have 
not  unusefully  prescribed  other  annexes  and  cir- 
cumstances ;  as  that  all  the  other  acts  of  deportment 
be  symbolical  to  our  fasting.  If  we  fast  for  morti- 
fication, let  us  entertain  nothing  of  temptation  or 
semblance  to  invite  a  lust;  no  sensual  delight,  no 
freer  entertainments  of  our  body,  to  countenance  or 


OF    lASUNG.  339 

corroborate  a  passion.  It'  we  fast  tliat  we  may  pray 
the  better,  let  us  remove  all  secular  thoughts  for 
that  time;  for  it  is  vain  to  alleviate  our  spirits  of 
the  burden  of  meat  and  drink,  and  to  depress  them 
with  the  loads  of  care.  If  for  repentance  we  fast, 
let  us  be  most  curious  that  we  do  nothing  contrary 
to  the  design  of  repentance;  knowing  that  a  sin  is 
more  contrary  to  repentance  than  fasting  is  to  sin  : 
and  it  is  ti)e  greatest  stupidity  in  the  world,  to  do 
that  thing  which  I  am  now  mourning  for,  and  for 
which  I  do  judgment  upon  myself.  And  let  all 
our  actions  also  pursue  the  same  design,  helping 
one  instrument  with  another,  and  being  so  zealous 
for  the  grace,  that  we  take  in  all  the  aids  we  can  to 
secure  the  duty.  For  to  fast  from  Hesh,  and  to  eat 
delicate  fish  ;  not  eat  meat,  but  to  drink  rich  wines 
freely;  to  be  sensual  in  the  objects  of  our  other  ap- 
petites, and  restrained  only  in  one;  to  have  no  din- 
ner, and  that  day  to  run  on  hunting,  or  to  play  at 
cards,  are  not  handsome  instances  of  sorrow,  or  de- 
votion, or  self-denial.  It  is  best  to  accompany  our 
fasting  with  the  retirements  of  religion  and  the  en- 
largements of  charity,  giving  to  others  what  we 
deny  to  ourselves.  These  are  proper  actions  ;  and 
altliough  not  in  every  instance  necessary  to  be  done 
at  the  same  time,  (for  a  man  may  give  his  alms  in 
other  circumstances,  and  not  amiss,)  yet  as  they  are 
very  convenient  and  proper  to  be  joined  in  that  so- 
ciety, so  to  do  any  thing  contrary  to  religion  or  to 
charity,  to  justice  oy  to  |)iety,  to  the  design  of  the 
j)erson  or  the  design  of  the  solemnity,  is  to  make 
that  become  a  sin  which  of  itself  was  no  virtue,  but 
was  capable  of  being  hallowed  l)y  the  end  and  the 
manner  of  its  execution. 

7.  This  discourse  halh  hitherto  related  to  private 


340  ft"  lASTiNr.. 

fasts,  or  else  to  fasts  indefinitely.  For  what  rules 
soever  every  man  is  bound  to  observe  in  private 
for  fasting  piously,  the  same  rules  the  governors  of 
a  church  are  to  intend  in  their  public  prescription. 
And  whei]  once  authority  hath  intervened,  and  pro- 
claimed a  fast,  there  is  no  new  duty  incumbent 
upon  the  private,  but  that  we  obey  the  circum- 
stances, letting  them  choose  the  time  and  the  end  for 
us.  And  though  we  must  prevaricate  neither,  yet 
we  may  improve  both  ;  we  must  not  do  less,  but 
we  may  enlarge  :  and  when  fasting  is  commanded 
only  for  repentance,  we  may  also  use  it  to  prayers 
and  to  mortification.  And  we  must  be  curious  that 
we  do  not  obey  the  letter  of  the  prescrijjtion,  and 
violate  the  intention,  but  observe  all  that  care  in 
i)ublic  fasts  which  we  do  in  private ;  knowing  that 
our  private  ends  are  included  in  the  public,  as  our 
persons  are  in  the  communion  of  saints,  and  our 
hopes  in  the  common  inheritance  of  sons  ;  and  see 
that  we  do  not  fast  in  order  to  a  purpose,  and  yet 
use  it  so  that  it  shall  be  to  no  purpose.  Whoso- 
ever so  fasts  as  that  it  be  not  efiectual  in  some  de- 
gree towards  the  end,  or  so  fasts  that  it  be  accounted 
of  itself  a  duty  and  an  act  of  religion,  without 
order  to  its  proper  end,  makes  his  act  vain,  because 
it  is  unreasonable ;  or  vain,  because  it  is  super- 
stitious. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  holy  and  eternal  Jesa,  who  didst  for  our  sake  fast  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  and  hast  left  to  us  thy  example,  and  thy 
prediction,  that  in  the  days  of  thy  absence  from  us,  we,  thy  ser. 
▼ants  and  children  of  thy  bride-chambrr,  should  fast :  teach  us  to 


MlRACI.rs    UUOI(;iri'    BV    JESL'S.  341 

do  this  act  of  discipline  so  that  it  may  become  an  act  of  religion. 
Let  us  never  be  like  Ksau,  valuing  a  dish  of  meat  above  a 
blessing;  but  let  us  deny  our  appetites  of  meat  and  drink,  and 
accustom  ourselves  to  the  yoke,  and  substract  the  fuel  of  our 
lusts,  and  the  incentives  of  all  our  unworthy  desires:  that  our 
bodies  being  free  from  the  intemperances  of  nutriment,  and  our 
spirits  from  the  load  and  pressure  of  appetite,  we  may  have  no 
desires  but  of  thee  :  that  our  outward  man  daily  decaying  by  the 
violence  of  time,  and  mortified  by  the  abatements  of  its  too  free 
and  unnecessary  support,  it  may  by  degrees  resign  to  the  entire 
dominion  of  the  soul,  and  may  pass  from  vanity  to  piety,  from 
weakness  to  ghostly  strength,  from  darkness  and  mixtures  of  im- 
purity to  great  transparence  and  clarity  in  the  society  of  a  beati- 
fied soul,  reigning  with  thee  in  the  glories  of  eternity,  O  holy  and 
eternal  Jesu.     Amen. 


DISCOURSE  XIV. 

Of  the  Miracles  which  Jesus  lorought  for  confirmation 
of  his  Doctrine,  during  the  ivhole  time  of  his 
Preaching. 

1.  When  Jesus  had  ended  his  sermon  on  the 
Mount,  he  descended  into  the  valleys,  to  consign  his 
doctrine  by  the  power  of  miracles  and  the  excel- 
lency of  a  rare  example;  that  he  might  not  lay  a 
yoke  upon  us  which  himself  also  would  not  bear  : 
but  as  he  became  the  author,  so  also  'the  finisiier 
of  our  faith;'  what  he  designed  in  proposition,  he 
vej)resented  in  his  own  practice;'  and  by  these  acts 

>  Nee  monstravi!  tantum,  sed  etiam  prjEcessit,  ne  quis  difficul- 
tatis   gratia    iter   virtutis  horreret.      Lacfant. — "  He  not  only 
pointed  out  the  path,  but  traversed  it  himself,  that  no  one  might 
fear  the  ways  of  virtue  on  account  of  their  difficulty."' 
"ATraj'TfC  :'T/ifi'  to  vHOt-Ar  (To^oi, 
Arroi  ff  o//n()rcn'(ij'rft'  «  yerwcfco/itr. — Menand. 
"  AVe  are  all  ready   to  admonish,   but  know  not  when  we  err 
ourselves." 


M'2  OF    THE    MIRACLES 

made  a  new  sermon,  teaching  all  prelates  and  spiri- 
tual persons  to  descend  from  their  eminency  of 
contemplation,  and  the  authority  and  business  of 
their  discourses,  to  apply  themselves  to  do  more 
material  and  corporal  mercies  to  afflicted  persons, 
and  tf)  preach  by  example  as  well  as  by  their  ho- 
milies. For  he  that  teaches  others  well,  and  prac- 
tises contrary,  is  like  a  fair  candlestick  bearing  a 
goodly  and  bright  taper,  which  sends  forth  light 
to  all  the  house,  but  round  about  itself  there  is  a 
shadow  and  circumstant  darkness.  The  prelate 
should  be  the  light  consuming  and  spending  itself 
to  enlighten  others,  scattering  his  rays  round  about 
from  the  angles  of  contemplation  and  from  the  cor- 
ners of  practice,  but  himself  always  tending  up- 
wards, till  at  last  he  expires  into  the  element  of 
love  and  celestial  fruition. 

2.  But  the  miracles  which  Jesus  did  were  next  to 
infinite;  and  every  circumstance  of  action  that 
passed  from  him,  as  it  was  intended  for  mercy,  so 
also  for  doctrine  ;  and  the  impotent  or  diseased  per- 
sons were  not  more  cured  than  we  instructed. 
But  because  there  was  nothing  in  the  actions  but 
what  was  a  pursuance  of  the  doctrines  delivered  in 
his  sermons,  in  the  sermon  we  must  look  after  our 
duty,  and  look  upon  his  practice  as  a  verification 
of  his  doctrine,  and  instrumental  also  to  other  pur- 
poses. Therefore,  in  general,  if  we  consider  his  mi- 
racles, we  shall  see  that  he  did  design  them  to  be 
a  compendium  of  faith  and  charity.  For  he  chose 
to  instance  his  miracles  in  actions  of  mercy,  that 
all  his  powers  might  especially  determine  upon 
bounty  and  charity;'   and   yet  his  acts  of  charity 

'  Acts,  X.  .S8. 


WROLOHT    UY    JESL'S.  343 

were  so  miraculous  that  t!iey  became  an  argument 
of  the  divinity  of  his  person  and  doctrine.  Once 
he  turned  water  into  wine,  which  was  a  mutation 
by  a  supernatural  power,  in  a  natural  suscipient, 
where  a  person  was  not  the  subject,  but  an  elen)ent: 
and  yet  this  was  done  to  rescue  the  poor  bridegroom 
from  affront  and  trouble,  and  to  do  honour  to  tlic 
holy  rite  of  marriaj^je  All  the  rest,  (unless  we  ex- 
cej)t  his  walking  upon  the  waters,)  during  his  na- 
tural life,  were  actions  of  relief  and  mercy,  accord- 
ing to  the  design  of  God,  manifesting  his  power 
most  chiefly  in  showing  mercy. 

3.  The  great  design  of  miracles  was  to  prove  his 
mission  from  God,  to  convince  the  world  of  sin,  to 
demonstrate  his  power  of  forgiving  sins,  to  endear 
iiis  precepts,  and  that  his  disciples  might  believe  in 
him,  and  tliat  believing  they  might  have  life 
through  his  name.'  For  he  to  whom  God,  by 
doing  miracles,  gave  testimony  from  heaven,  mui^t 
needs  be  sent  from  God  ;  and  he  who  had  received 
power  to  restore  nature,  and  to  create  new  organs, 
and  to  extract  from  incapacities,  and  from  priva- 
tions to  reduce  habits,  was  Lord  of  nature,  and 
therefore  of  all  the  world  ;  and  thus  could  not  but 
create  great  confidences  in  his  disciples,  that  him- 
self would  verify  those  great  promises  upon  which 
he  established  his  law.  But  that  the  argument  of 
miracles  might  be  infallible,  and  not  apt  to  be  re- 
proved, we  may  observe  itseminency  by  divers  cir- 
cumstiinces  of  probability  heightened  up  to  the  de- 
gree of  moral  demonstration. 

4.  First,  The  iioly  Jesus  '  did  miracles  which  no 
man  (before  him, or  at  that  time)  ever  did.'*  Moses 

'  John,  \x.  31  ;   x    l.H ;  v.  30.  John,  xv.  24. 


344  OF    iiu:    Miii'.r  i.i;5 

smote  tlie  rock  and  vkUct  unshed  out;  but  lie  could 
not  turn  that  water  into  uino.  Closes  cured  no 
diseases  by  the  emj)ire  of  his  will,  or  the  word  of 
his  mouth ;  but  Jesus  '  healed  all  infirmities. 
Elisha  raised  a  dead  child  to  life ;  but  Jesus  raised 
one  who  had  been  dead  four  days,  and  buried,  and 
corrupted.  Elias  and  Samuel,  and  all  the  prophetSj 
and  the  succession  of  the  high-priests,  in  both  the 
temples,  put  all  together,  never  did  so  many  or  so 
great  miracles  as  Jesus  did.  He  cured  ]ej)erous 
persons  by  his  touch.  He  restored  sight  to 
the  blind,  who  were  such,  not  by  any  inter- 
vening- accident  hindering  the  act  of  the  organ, 
but  by  nature;  who  were  born  blind,  and  whose 
eyes  had  not  any  natural  possibility  to  receive 
sight ;  who  could  never  see  w  ithout  creating 
of  new  eyes  for  them,  or  some  integral  part  co- 
operating to  vision  ;  and  therefore  the  miracle  was 
wholly  an  effect  of  a  divine  power,  for  nature  did 
not  at  all  co-operate ;  or,  that  I  may  use  the  elegant 
expression  of  Dante,  it  was  such 

" a  cui  natura 

"  Non  scaldo  ferro  mai,  nebatte  ancude," 

for  which  nature  never  did  heat  the  iron,  nor  beat 
the  anvil.  He  made  crooked  limbs  become  straight, 
and  the  lame  to  walk  ;  and  habitual  diseases  and 
inveterate,  of  eighteen  years,'  continuance,  (and  one 
of  thirty-eight,)  did  disappear  at  his  speaking,  like 
darkness  at  the  presence  of  the  sun.  He  cast  out 
devils,  who  by  the  majesty  of  his  person  were 
forced  to  confess  and  worsliip  him  ;  and  yet  by 
his  humility  and  restraints  were  commanded  silence, 
or  to  go  whither  he  pleased  :  and  without  his  leave 
all  the  powers  of  hell  were  as  infirm  and  impotent 


VRdtGlIT    BY    JKStS.  345 

as  a  withered  memher,  and  were  not  able  to  stir. 
He  raised  three  dead  persons  to  life:  he  fed  thou- 
sands of  f)eop]e  with  two  small  fishes  and  five  little 
barley-cakes  :  and  as  a  consummation  of  all  power 
and  all  miracles,  he  foretold,  and  verified  it,  that 
himself  would  rise  from  the  dead  after  three  days' 
sepulture.  But  when  himself  had  told  them  he 
did  miracles  which  no  man  else  ever  did,  they 
were  not  able  to  reprove  his  saying-  with  one  single 
instance ;  but  the  poor  blind  man  found  him  out 
one  instance  to  verify  his  assertion:  'It  was  yet 
never  heard,  that  any  man  opened  the  eyes  of  one 
that  was  born  blind.' 

5.  Secondly,  The  scene  of  his  preaching  and 
miracles  was  Judea,  which  was  the  pale  of  the 
church,  and  God's  inclosed  portion, 'of  whom  were 
the  oracles  and  the  fathers,  and  of  whom,  as  con- 
cerning the  flesh,  Christ  was  to  come,'  and  to  w  horn 
lie  was  promised.  Now,  since  these  miracles  were 
for  verification  of  his  being  the  Christ,  the  pro- 
mised Messias,  they  were  then  to  be  esteemed  a 
convincing  argument,  when  all  things  else  con- 
curring, as  the  predictions  of  the  jjrophels,  the 
synchronisms,  and  the  capacity  of  his  person,  he 
brought  miracles  to  attest  himself  to  be  the  person 
80  declared  and  signified.  God  would  not  suflTer 
his  people  to  be  abused  by  miracles,  nor  from 
heaven  would  speak  so  loud  in  testimony  of  any 
thing  contrary  to  his  own  will  and  purposes.  They 
to  whom  he  gave  the  oracles,  and  the  law,  and  the 
predictions  of  the  Messias,  and  declared  before- 
hand, that  at  the  'coming  of  the  Messias  the  blind 
should  see,  the  lame  should  walk,  and  the  deaf 
should  hear,  the  lepers  should  bo  cleansed,  and  to 


346  OF     IHK    MIRACLF.S 

the  poor  the  gospel  should  be  preached/'  could 
not  expect  a  greater  conviction  for  acceptation  of  a 
person,  than  when  that  happened  which  God  him- 
self by  his  prophets  had  consigned  as  his  future 
testimony  ;  and  if  there  could  have  been  deception 
in  this,  it  must  needs  have  been  culpable  in  the  de- 
ceived person,  to  whose  error  a  divine  prophecy 
had  been  both  nurse  and  parent.  So  that  taking 
the  miracles  Jesus  did  in  that  conjunction  of  cir- 
cumstances, done  to  that  people  to  whom  all  their 
oracles  were  transmitted  by  miraculous  verifica- 
tions, miracles  so  many,  so  great,  so  accidentally, 
and  yet  so  regularly,  to  all  comers  and  necessitous 
persons  tliat  prayed  for  it,  after  such  predictions 
and  clearest  prophecies,  and  these  propliecies  owned 
by  himself,  and  sent  by  way  of  symbol  and  myste- 
rious answer  to  John  the  Baptist,  to  whom  he 
described  his  office  by  recounting  his  miracles  in 
the  words  of  the  prediction  ;  there  cannot  be  any 
fallibility  or  weakness  pretended  to  this  instrument 
of  probation,  applied  in  such  circumstances  to 
such  a  people,  who,  being  dear  to  God,  would  be 
preserved  from  invincible  deceptions;  and  being 
commanded  by  him  to  expect  the  Messias  in  such 
an  equipage  of  power  and  demonstration  of  mi- 
racles, were  therefore  not  deceived,  nor  could  they, 
because  they  were  bound  to  accept  it. 

6.  Thirdly,  So  that  now  we  must  not  look  upon 
these  miracles  as  an  argument  primarily  intended 
to  convince  the  Gentiles,  but  the  Jews.  It  was 
a  high  probability  to  them  also,  and  so  it  was  de- 
signed also  in  a  secondary  intention  :  but  it  could 

'    Isaiah,  xxxv.  4,  5,  0;  Alatth.  xi.  5. 


wRoiour  nv  jf.sus.  347 

not  be  an  argument  to  them  so  certain,  because  it 
was  destitute  of  two  great  supporters  :  for  lliey 
neitlier  believed  the  prophets  foretellinir  tlie  Messias 
to  be  such,  nor  yet  saw  the  miracles  done.  So 
that  they  had  no  testimony  of  God  beforehand, 
and  were  to  rely  upon  human  testimony  for  the 
matter  of  fact ;  which,  because  it  was  fallible, 
could  not  infer  a  necessary  conclusion  alone  and 
of  itself,  but  it  put  on  dejfrees  of  persuasion,  as  the 
testimony  had  degrees  of  certainty  or  universality; 
that  they  also  which  see  not,  and  yet  have  believed, 
might  be  blessed.  And  therefore  Christ  sent  his 
apostles  to  convert  the  Gentiles,  and  supplied  in 
their  case  what  in  his  own  could  not  be  applicable, 
or  so  concerning  them  ;  for  he  sent  them  to  do  mi- 
racles in  the  sight  of  the  nations,  that  ihey  might 
not  doubt  the  matter  of  fact ;  and  prepared  them 
also  with  a  prophecy,  foretelling'  that  they  should 
do  the  same  and  greater  miracles  than  he  did. 
They  had  greater  prejudices  to  contest  against, 
and  a  more  unequal  distance  from  belief  and  apt- 
nesses to  credit  such  things  ;  therefore  it  was  ne- 
cessary that  the  apostles  should  do  greater  miracles 
to  remove  the  greater  mountains  of  objection.  And 
they  did  so ;  and  by  doing  it  in  pursuance  and 
testimony  of  the  ends  of  Christ  and  Christianity, 
verified  the  fame  and  celebrity  of  their  master's 
miracles,  and  represented  to  all  the  world  his 
power,  and  his  veracity,  and  his  divinity. 

7.  Fourthly,  For  when  the  Holy  Jesus  appeared 
upon  the  stage  of  Palestine,  all  things  were  quiet 
and  at  rest  from  prodigy  and  wonder:  nay,  John 
the  Baptist,  who,  by  his  excellent  sanctity  and 
austerities  had  got  great  reputation  to  his  person 
and  doctrines,   yet  did  no  miracle:  and   no  man 


343  (  r  THE  Mi!t.\(.i.i:s 

else  did  any,  save  some  few  exorcissts  among  the 
Jews  cured  some  demoniacs  and  distracted  people. 
So  tliat  in  this  silence  a  prophet  appearing  with 
signs  and  wonders  had  nothing  to  lessen  the  argu- 
ments, no  opposite  of  like  power,  or  appearaticesof 
a  contradictory  design.  And  therefore  it  persuaded 
infinitely,  and  was  certainly  operative  upon  all 
persons,  whose  interest  and  love  of  the  world  did 
not  destroy  the  piety  of  their  wills,  and  put  their 
understanding  into  fetters.  And  Nicodemns,  a 
doctor  of  the  law,  being  convinced,  said,  'We 
know  that  thou  art  a  doctor  sent  from  God  :  for  no 
man  can  do  those  things  which  thou  doest,  unless 
God  be  with  him.''  But  when  the  devil  sau'  what 
great  affections  and  confidences  these  miracles  of 
Christ  had  produced  in  all  persons,  he  too  late 
strives  to  lessen  the  argument  by  phiying  an  after- 
game;  and  weakly  endeavours  to  abuse  vicious 
persons  (whose  love  to  their  sensual  j)leasures  was 
of  power  to  make  them  take  any  thing  for  argument 
to  retain  them)  by  such  low,  few,  inconsiderable, 
uncertain,  and  suspicious  instances,  that  it  grew  to 
be  the  greatest  confirmation  and  extrinsical  argu- 
ment in  behalf  of  religion,  that  eitiicr  friend  or  foe 
upon  his  own  industry  could  have  represented. 
Such  as  were  the  making  an  image  spciak,  or  fetcii- 
ing  fire  from  the  clouds ;  and  that  the  images  of 
Diana,  Cyndias,  and  Vesta,  among  the  .Tasia?ans, 
would  admit  no  rain  to  wet  them,  or  cloud  to 
darken  them  ;  and  that  the  bodies  of  them  who  en- 
tered into  the  temple  of  Jupiter  in  Arcadia  would 
cast  no  shadow.  Which  things  Polybius  himself, 
one  of  their  own  superstition,  laughs  at  as  im- 
postures, and  says  they  were  no  way  to  be  excused, 

•  John,  iii.  2. 


UllOICMI     l!V    JLSLS.  319 

unlt.'ss  tlie  jnous  purpose  of  tlic  invenlor.s  did  take 
olT  (Voin  the  njalice  of  the  lie.'  But  tlie  niiiacles  of 
Jesus  were  confessed,  and  wondered  at  by  Jose- 
phus;  were  published  to  all  the  world  by  his 
own  disciples,  who  never  were  accused,  much  less 
convicted  of  forwery ;  they  were  acknowledj^ed 
by  Celsus*  and  Julian,'  the  greatest  enemies  of 
Christ. 

8.  But  further  yet,  themselves  gave  it  out,  tliat 
one  Caius  was  cured  of  his  blindness  by  vEscula- 
pius,  and  so  was  Valerius  Aper ;  and  at  Alexan- 
dria, Vespasian  cured  a  man  of  the  gout  by  tread- 
ing upon  his  toes,  and  a  blind  man  with  spittle. 
And  when  Adrian  the  emperor  was  sick  of  a 
fever,  and  would  have  killed  himself,  it  is  said,  two 
blind  persons  were  cured  by  touching  him,  wliereo 
one  of  them  told  him  that  he  also  should  recover.* 
But,  although  Vespasian, by  the  help  of  Apollonius 
Tyaneus,  vvlio  was  his  familiar,  who  also  had  the 
devil  to  be  his,  might  do  any  thing  within  tli 
power  of  nature,  or  by  permission  miijlit  do  nuich 
more:  yet  besides  that  this  was  of  an  uncertain 
and  less  credible  re])ort,  if  it  had  been  true,  it  was 
also  infinitely  short  of  what  Christ  did,  and  was  a 
weak,  silly  innlation,  and  usurping  of  the  argument 
uhich  had  already  prevailed  upon  the  persuasions 
of  men,  beyond  all  possibility  of  confutation,  -^nd 
(or  that  of  Achian,  to  have  rejjorted  it  is  enough  to 

>   liib.  xvi.  Hist. 

*  'J]i'o/iiff«rf  nl'Tov  t'tvni  vihv  OfH,  tTZlt  \io\in2  K)  rtiXSt; 
iOfpaTTtrm,  dixit  Ce'.sus  apud  Origen. 

■*  Ki  /(//  rit:  oUrtti  TH<; KvWtsi;  ti/  tv^\»<;  ic'iTaa^ai,  iif  \uuo- 
viwi'TKi;  tfpooki'^nf,  7uii>  jityirio)'  toyiov  th'iii,  &C  Vtrb; 
Juliani  apud  Cyril,  lib.  vi. 

*  Spanianus  in  Adriano ;  qui  addit  .Mariuiu  Afaxonit.". 
dixi&se,  hiec  facta  fuissi*  per  siuiulatiuuem. 


350  OF    THF.    MIRACLES 

make  it  lulicalous.  And  it  had  been  a  strange 
power  to  have  cured  two  blind  persons,  and  yet  be 
so  unable  to  help  himself  as  to  attempt  to  kill 
himself  by  reason  of  anguish,  impatience,  and  de- 
sj)air. 

9.  Fifthly,  When  the  Jews  and  Pharisees  be- 
lieved not  Christ  for  his  miracles,  and  yet  per- 
petually called  for  a  sign,  he  refused  to  give  them  a 
sign  which  might  be  less  than  their  prejudice,  or 
the  persuasions  of  their  interest ;  but  gave  them 
one  which  alone  is  greater  than  all  the  miracles 
which  ever  were  done,  or  said  to  be  done,  by  any 
antichrist,  or  the  enemies  of  the  religion  put  all 
together ;  a  miracle  which  could  have  no  suspicion 
of  imposture,  a  miracle  without  instance,  or  prece- 
dent, or  imitation.  And  that  is,  Jesus's  lying  in 
the  erave  three  days  and  three  nights,  and  then 
rising  again,  and  appearing  to  many,  and  convers- 
ing for  forty  days  together;  giving  probation  of  his 
rising,  of  the  verity  of  his  body,  making  a  glorious 
promise,  which  at  pentecost  was  verified,  and 
speaking  such  things  which  became  precepts  and 
parts  of  the  law  for  ever  after. 

10.  Sixthly,  I  add  two  things  more  to  this  con- 
sideration. First,  that  the  apostles  did  such  mira- 
cles, which  were  infinitely  greater  than  the  pre- 
tensions of  any  adversary,  and  inimitable  by  all  the 
powers  of  man  or  darkness.  They  raised  the  dead  ; 
they  cured  all  diseases  by  their  very  shadow  pass- 
ing by,  and  by  tiie  touch  of  garments ;  they  con- 
verted nations ;  they  foretold  future  events ;  they 
themselves  spake  with  tongues,  and  they  gave  the 
Holy  Ghost  by  imposition  of  hands,  which  enabled 
others  to  speak  languages  which  immediately  be- 
fore they  understood  not,  and  to  cure  diseases,  and 


wRtudiir  BV  jrst's.  331 

to  eject  devils.  Now  supposinpf  miracles  to  be 
done  by  Gentile  philosophers  and  magicians  after; 
yet  when  they  Tall  short  of  these  in  power,  and  yet 
teach  a  contrary  doctrine,  it  is  a  demonslration 
that  it  is  a  lesser  power,  and  therefore  the  doc- 
trine not  of  divine  authority  and  sanction.  And 
it  is  remarkable,  that  among-  all  the  Gentiles  none 
ever  reasonably  pretended  to  a  power  of  casting 
out  devils:  for  the  devils  could  not  get  so  much 
by  it,  as  things  then  stood  :  and,  besides,  in  whose 
name  should  they  do  it  who  worshipped  none 
but  devils  and  false  gods  ?  which  is  too  violent 
presumption,  that  the  devil  was  the  architect  in 
all  sucli  buildings.  And  when  the  seven  sons  of 
Sceva,  who  was  a  Jew,  (amongst  whom  it  was 
sometimes  granted  to  cure  demoniacs,)  offered  to 
exorcise  a  possessed  person,  the  devil  would  by  no 
means  endure  it,  but  beat  them  for  their  pains.' 
And  although  it  might  have  been  for  his  purpose 
to  have  enervated  the  reputation  of  St.  Paul,  and 
by  a  voluntary  cession  equalled  St.  Paul's  enemies 
to  him  ;  yet  either  the  devil  could  not  go  out  but 
at  the  command  of  a  Christian,  or  else  to  have 
gone  out  would  have  been  a  disservice  and  ruin  to 
his  kingdom  :  either  of  whicli  declares  that  the 
power  of  casting  out  devils  is  a  testimony  of  God, 
and  a  probation  of  the  divinity  of  a  doctrine,  and  a 
proper  argument  of  Christianity. 

1 1.  Seventlily,  But,  besides  this,  I  consider  that 
the  Holy  Jesus,  having  first  possessed  upon  just 
title  all  the  reasonableness  of  human  understanding 
by  his  demonstration  of  a  miraculous  power,  in  his 
infinite  wisdom  knew  that  the  devil  would  attempt 

<  Acta,  xiz. 


352  OF    THK    MJRACl.r!* 

to  gain  a  party  by  the  same  instrument,  and  there- 
fore so  ordered  it,  that  the  miracles  which  should 
be  done,  or  jn-etended  to,  by  the  devil,  or  any  of 
the  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Clirist,  should  he  a  con- 
firmation of  Christianity,  not  do  it  disservice :  for 
he    foretold    that    antichrist    and    other   enemies 
'  should  come  in  prodigies  and  lyino;  wonders  and 
signs.'      Concerning  which,  although    it   may   be 
disputed  whether  they  were  truly  miracles,  or  mere 
deceptions   and    magical   pretences ;    yet  because 
they  were  such  which  the  people  could  not  discern 
from   miracles  really  such,  therefore  it  is  all   one, 
and  in  this  consideration  they  are  to  be  supposed 
such.     But,  certainly,  he  that  could  foretell  such  a 
future  contingency,  or  such  a  secret  of  predestina- 
tion, was  able  also  to  know  from  what  principle  it 
came.     And  we  have  t!ie  same   reason  to  believe 
that  antichrist  shall  do   miracles  to  evil  purposes, 
as  that  he  shall  do  any  at  all  :  he  that  foretold   us 
of  the  man,  foretold  us  also  of  the  imposture,  and 
commanded  us  not  to  trust  him.     And  it  had  been 
more  likely  for  antichrist  to  prevail  upon  Christians 
by  doing  no  miracles,  than  by  doing  any  :  for  if  he 
had  done  none,  he  might  have  escaped  without  dis- 
covery ;  but  by  doing  miracles,  as  he  verified  the 
wisdom  and  prescience  of  Jesus,  so  he  declared  to 
all  the  church,  that  he  was  the  enemy  of  their  Lord, 
and   therefore  less  likely  to  deceive.     For  which 
reason  it  is  said,  that  *  he  shall  deceive,  if  it  were 
possible,  the  very  elect :'  that  is  therefore  not  pos- 
sible, because  that  by  which  he  insinuates  himself 
to  otliers,  is  by  the  elect,  the  church  and  chosen  of 
God,  understood  to  be  his  sign  and  mark  of  dis- 
covery, and  a  warning.     And  therefore,  as  the  pro- 
phecies of  Jesus  uere  an   infinite  verification  of  his 


\V!t(tn;iM    iiY  j[:srs.  353 

miracles;  so  also  tliis  piopliecy  of  Christ  concern- 
ing anticlirist  disgraces  tiie  ie|JUtation  and  faitli  of 
the  miracles  lie  shall  act.  The  old  prophets  fore- 
told of  the  ISIessias,  and  of  his  miracles  of  power 
and  mercy,  to  prepare  for  his  reception  and  enter- 
tainment: Christ  alone,  and  his  apostles  from  him, 
foretold  of  antichrist,  and  that  he  should  come  in 
all  miracles  of  deception  and  lying ;  that  is,  with 
true  or  false  miracles  to  persuade  a  lie  :  and  this 
was  to  prejudice  his  being  accepted,  according  to 
ihe  law  of  Moses. '  So  that  as  all  that  spake  of 
Christ  hade  us  believe  him  for  his  miracles,  so  all 
tliat  foretold  of  antichrist  bade  us  disbelieve  him 
the  rather  for  his.  And  the  reason  of  both  is  the 
same,  because  the  mighty  and  '  surer  word  of  pro- 
phecy '  (as  St.  Peter  calls  it)  being  tUe  greatest 
testimony  in  the  world  of  a  divine  principle,  gives 
authority,  or  reprobates  with  the  same  power. 
'I'iiey  who  are  tiie  predestinate  of  God,  and  they 
that  are  the  prcescUi,  the  foreknown  and  marked 
people,  must  needs  stand  or  fall  to  the  divine  sen- 
tence; and  such  must  this  be  acknowledged;  for 
no  '  enemy  of  the  cross,'  not  the  devil  himself,  ever 
foretold  such  a  contingency,  or  so  rare,  so  personal, 
so  voluntary,  so  unnatural  an  event,  as  this  of  the 
great  antichrist. 

12.  And  thus  the  holy  Jesus,  having  '  showed 
forth  the  treasures  of  his  Father's  wisdom,'  in  reve- 
lations and  holy  precepts,  and  upon  the  stock  of 
his  Father's  greatness  having  dispensed  and  demon- 
strated great  power  in  miracles,  and  these  being 
instanced  in  acts  of  mercy,  he  mingled  the  glories 
of  heaven  to  transmit  them  to  earth,  to  raise  us  up 

'  Deul.  xiii.  1,  2.  It. 


354  OF    T»F.    MIRACLES 

to  the  participations  of  heaven.  He  was  pleased, 
by  healing  the  bodies  of  infirm  jiersons,  to  invite 
their  spirits  to  his  discipline,  and  by  his  power  to 
convey  healing,  and  by  that  mercy  to  lead  us  into 
the  treasures  of  revelation ;  that  both  bodies  and 
souls,  our  wills  and  understandings,  by  divine  in- 
struments, might  be  brought  to  divine  perfections 
in  the  participations  of  a  divine  nature.  It  was  a 
miraculous  mercy  that  God  should  look  upon  us 
in  our  blood,  and  a  miraculous  condescension  that 
his  Son  should  take  our  nature;  and  even  this 
favour  we  could  not  believe  without  many  miracles: 
and  so  contrary  was  our  condition  to  all  possibi- 
lities of  happiness,  that  if  salvation  had  not 
marched  to  us  all  the  way  in  miracle,  we  had  pe- 
rished in  the  ruins  of  a  sad  eternity.  And  now  it 
would  be  but  reasonable,  that,  since  God  for  our 
sakes  halh  rescinded  so  many  laws  of  natural  esta- 
blishment, we  also,  for  his  and  for  our  own,  would 
be  content  to  do  violence  to  those  natural  in- 
clinations, which  are  also  criminal  when  they  de- 
rive into  action.  Every  man  living  in  the  state  of 
grace  is  a  perpetual  miracle ;  and  his  passions  are 
made  reasonable,  as  his  reason  is  turned  into  faith, 
and  his  soul  to  spirit,  and  his  body  to  a  temple, 
and  earth  to  heaven  ;  and  less  than  this  will  not 
dispose  us  to  such  glories,  which  being  the  portion 
of  saints  and  angels,  and  the  nearest  communica- 
tions with  God,  are  infinitely  above  what  we  see, 
or  hear,  or  understand. 


WROUGHT    HY    JESl'S.  355 


THE  PRAYER. 


O  eternal  Jcsu,  who  didst  receive  great  power,  that  by  it 
thou  mightest  convey  thy  Father's  mercies  to  us  impotent  and 
wretched  people,  give  me  grace  to  believe  that  heavenly  doc- 
trine which  thou  didst  ratify  with  arguments  from  above,  that  I 
may  fully  assent  to  all  those  mysterious  truths  which  integrate 
that  doctrine  and  discipline,  in  which  the  obligationsof  my  duty 
and  the  hopes  of  my  felicity  are  deposited  :  and  to  all  those  glo- 
rious verifications  of  thy  goodness  and  thy  power  add  also  this 
miracle,  that  I,  who  am  stained  with  leprosy  of  sin,  may  be 
cleansed,  and  my  eyes  may  be  opened,  that  I  may  see  the  won- 
derful things  of  thy  law  :  and  raise  thou  me  up  from  the  death 
of  sin  to  the  life  of  righteousness,  that  1  may  for  ever  walk  in 
the  land  of  the  living,  abhorring  the  works  of  death  and  dark- 
ness. That  as  1  am,  by  thy  miraculous  mercy,  partaker  of  the 
first,  60  also  I  may  be  accounted  worthy  of  the  second  resurrec- 
tion ;  and  as  by  faith,  hope,  charity,  and  obedience,  I  receive  the 
fruit  of  thy  miracles  in  this  life  ;  so  in  the  other  1  may  partake 
of  thy  glories,  which  is  a  mercy  above  all  miracles.  I/ord,  it' 
thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean.  Lord,  I  believe;  help 
mine  unbelief;  and  grant  that  no  indisposition  or  incapacity  of 
mine  may  hinder  the  wonderful  operations  of  thy  grace  ;  but  let 
it  be  thy  first  miracle  to  turn  my  water  into  wine,  my  barren- 
ness into  fruitfulness,  my  aversations  from  thee  into  unions  and 
intimate  adhesions  to  thy  infinity,  which  is  the  fountain  of  mercy 
and  power.  Grant  this  for  thy  mercy's  sake,  and  for  the  honour 
of  those  glorious  attributes  in  which  thou  hast  revealed  thyself 
and  thy  Father's  excellencies  to  the  world,  O  holy  and  eternal 
Jesa.     Amen. 


EM)    OF    PART   II 


THE    LIFE 


OF  Ol:n  BLESNED 


LORD  AND  SAVIOUR  JESUS  CHRIST 
PART  Ilf. 

SECTION  XIII. 

Of  the  Second  Year  of  the  Preaching  of  Jesus. 

1.  "When  the  first  year  of  Jesus,  the  year  of 
peace  and  undisturbed  preachincj,  was  expired, 
'  there  was  a  feast  of  the  Jews,  and  Jesus  went  up 
to  Jerusalem :' '  (this  feast  was  the  second  pass- 
over  he  kept  after  he  began  to  preach  ;  not  the 
feast  of  pentecost  or  tabernacles,  both  which  were 
passed  before  Jes-iis  came  last  from  Judeu  :  (whilher 
when  he  was  now  come,  he  finds  an  impotent  per- 
son lying  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  waitinfi'  till  the 
angel  should  move  the  waters,  after  which,  whoso- 
ever first  stepped  in  was  cured  of  his  infirmity.  The 
poor  man  had  waited  thirty-eight  years,  and  still 
was  prevented  by  some  other  of  the  hospital  that 
needed  a  physician.  But  Jesus  seeing  him,  haci 
pity  on  him,  cured  him,  and  bade  biin  '  tnko  up  his 

'   .John,  V.  1,  (kr.  ;    Iron.  lib.  ii.  c.  )0. 


6  J  HL    sl.(  UNO    VI.AR    <»F 

bed  and  walk.'  Tliis  cure  happened  to  be  wrought 
upon  the  sabbath-day;  for  whicli  the  Jews  were  so 
moved  with  indignation  that  they  sought  to  slay 
him.  And  their  anger  was  enraged  by  his  calling 
nimself  the  Son  of  God,  and  making  himself  equal 
with  God. 

2.  Upon  occasion  of  this  offence,  which  they 
t-natched  at  before  it  was  ministered,  Jesus  dis- 
courses upon  "  his  mission,  and  derivation  of  his 
authority  from  the  Father ;  of  the  union  between 
them,  and  the  excellent  communications  of  power, 
participation  of  dignity,  delegation  of  judicature, 
reciprocations  and  reflections  of  honour  from  the 
Father  to  the  Son,  and  back  again  to  the  Father. 
He  preaches  of  life  and  salvation  to  them  that 
believe  in  him ;  prophecies  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead  by  the  efficacy  of  the  voice  of  the  Son 
of  God  ;  speaks  of  the  day  of  judgment,  the  dif- 
fering conditions  after,  of  salvation  and  damnation 
respectively  ;  confirms  his  words  and  mission  by 
the  testimony  of  John  the  Baptist,  of  Moses,  and 
the  other  Scriptures,  and  of  God  himself"  And 
still  the  scandal  rises  higher ;  '  for  in  the  second 
sabbath  after  the  first,'*  that  is,  in  the  first  day  of 
unleavened  bread,  which  happened  the  next  day 
after  the  weekly  sabbath,  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
pull  ripe  ears  of  corn,  rub  them  in  their  hands,  and 
eat  them  to  satisfy  their  hunger.  For  wliich  he 
oflTered  satisfaction  to  their  scruples,  convincing 
them,  that  works  of  necessity  are  to  be  permitted 
even  to  the  breach  of  a  positive  temporary  consti- 
tution ;  and  that  works  of  mercy  are  best  serving  of 
God  upon  any  day  whatsoever,  or  any  part  of  the 

'  John,  V.  I!),  &c. 

2  Suidasj  Voc.  2aP/3arov. 


JEStSS    PREACHING.  7 

day  that  is  vacant  to  other  offices,  and  proper  for  a 
relijrious  festival. 

3.  But  when  neither  reaf^on  nor  religion  would 
pfive  them  satisfaction  ;  hut  that  they  went  ahout  to 
kill  him,  he  withdrew  himself  from  Jerusalem,  and 
returned  to  Cialilee  :  v\  hither  the  Scrihes  and  Pha- 
risees followed  him,  ohserving  his  actions,  and 
whether  or  no  he  viould  prosecute  that  which  they 
called  profanalion  of  their  sahhath,  hy  doings  acts 
of  mercy  upon  that  day.  Ha  still  did  so  :  for  en- 
tering- into  one  of  the  synagogues  o(  Galilee  upon 
the  sahhath,  Jesus  saw  a  man  (whom  St.  Jerome 
reports  to  have  heen  a  mason')  coming  to  Tyre, 
and  complaining  that  his  hand  was  withered,  and 
desiring  help  of  him,  that  he  might  again  he  re- 
stored to  the  use  of  his  hand,  lest  he  should  bft 
compelled,  with  misery  and  shame,  to  beg  his  bread. 
Jesus  restored  his  hand  as  whole  as  the  other  in 
the  midst  of  all  those  spies  and  enemies.  Upon 
which  act,  being  confirmed  in  their  malice,  the 
Pharisees  went  forth,  and  joined  v\ith  the  Hero- 
dians,  (a  sect  of  people  who  said  Herod  was  the 
Messias,  because  by  the  decree  of  the  Roman 
senate,  when  the  sceptre  departed  from  Judah,  he 
was  declared  king,*)  and  both  together  look  coun- 
sel how  they  might  kill  him. 

4.  Jesus  therefore  departed  again  to  the  sea- 
coast,  and  his  companies  increased  as  his  fame: 
for  he  was  now  followed  bv  new  multitudes  from 


•  Evangel.  Naz.  quod  S.  Ilieron.  ex  Helir.  in  Greecuni  trans- 
tulit.  "H^iKTi"  /(H  Tiivt]K(,  TO  o'  i'lfiiav  Xtfiog  iXiyxtf  ^waov  /Jt 
f3a(Tt\iv,  fiHfriKl)V  I'li-UTovov, 

'  Sic  Tertullianus,  Epiphanius,  Chrysostomus,  et  Theophy- 
lactuti,  et  Hieron.  Dialog,  advers.  liucif.  uno  ore  affirmant. 


8  THK    Sr.COND    YKAR    OF 

Galilee,  from  Judea,  from  Jerusalem,  from  Fdumaea, 
from  beyond  Jordan,  from  about  Tyre  and  Sidon  ; 
who  hearing  the  report  of  his  miraculous  power  to 
cure  all  diseases  by  the  word  of  his  mouth,  or  the 
touch  of  his  hand,  or  the  handling-  his  s^arment, 
came  with  their  ambulatory  hospital  of  their  sick 
and  possessed  ;  and  they  pressed  on  him,  but  to 
touch  him,  and  were  all  immediately  cured.  The 
devils  confessing  publicly,  that  he  was  the  Son  of 
God,  till  they  were,  upon  all  such  occasions,  re- 
strained and  compelled  to  silence. 

5.  But  now  Jesus  having  commanded  a  ship  to 
be  in  readiness  against  any  inconvenience  or 
troublesome  pressures  of  the  multitude,  went  up 
into  a  mountain  to  pray,  and  continued  in  prayer 
all  night,  intending  to  make  the  first  ordination  of 
apostles  :  which  the  next  day  he  did,  choosing  out 
of  the  number  of  his  disciples  these  twelve  to  b- 
apostles;  Simon  Peter  and  Andrew,  James  and 
John,  the  sons  of  thunder,  Philip  and  Bartholo- 
mew, Matthew  and  Thomas,  James,  the  son  of 
Alphseus,  and  Simon  the  zelot,  Judas,  the  brother 
of  James,  and  Judas  Iscariot.  With  these  de- 
scending from  the  mountain  to  the  plain,  he  re- 
peated tlie  same  sermon,  or  much  of  it,  which  he 
had  before  preached  in  the  first  beginning  of  his 
prophesyings ;  that  he  might  publish  his  gospel  to 
these  new  auditore,  and  also  more  particularly  in- 
form his  apostles  in  the  doctrine  of  the  kingdom: 
for  now,  because  he  saw  Israel  scattered  like  sheep 
having  no  shepherd,  he  did  purpose  to  send  these 
twelve  abroad  to  preach  repentance  and  the  ap- 
proximation of  the  kingdom;  and  therefore  first 
instructed  them  in  the  mysterious  parts  of  his  holy 


JLSLJS.S    PHEACIIING.  .$ 

doctrine,  and  gave  llieni  also  particular  instruc- 
tions, tocrether  with  their  temporary  commission 
for  that  journey. 

6.  "  For  Jesus  sent  them  out  by  two  and  two 
giving:  them  power  over  unclean  spirits,  and  to 
heal  all  manner  of  sickness  and  diseases ;  teHing: 
them  they  were  the  light,  and  the  eyes,  and  the  salt 
of  the  vvorld,  so  intimating  their  duties  of  diligence, 
holiness,  and  incorruption  ;  giving  them  in  charge 
to  preach  the  gospel;  to  dispense  their  power  and 
miracles  freely,  as  they  had  received  it;  to  anoint 
sick  persons  with  oil ;  not  to  enter  into  any  Sama- 
ritan town,  but  to  go  rather  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel ;  to  provide  no  viaticum  for  their 
journeys,  but  to  jjut  themselves  upon  the  religion 
and  piety  of  their  proselytes.  He  arms  them 
against  persecutions;  gives  them  leave  to  fly  the 
storm  from  city  to  city  ;  promises  tliem  the  assist- 
ances of  his  Spirit;  encourages  them,  by  his  own 
example  of  hing-sufferance,  and  by  instances  of 
divine  Providence,  expressed  even  to  creatures  of 
smallest  value,  and  by  promise  of  great  rewards, 
to  the  confident  confession  of  his  name;  and  fur- 
nishes them  with  some  propositions,  which  are  like 
so  many  V)ills  of  exchange,  upon  the  trust  of  which 
they  might  take  u[)  necessaries;  promising  great 
retributions,  not  only  to  them  whoquit  any  thing  of 
value  for  the  sake  of  Jesus,  but  to  them  that  offer  a 
,  cup  of  water  to  a  thirsty  disciple:  and  with  these 
instructions  they  departed  to  preach  in  the  cities." 

7.  And  Jesus  returning  to  Capernaum,  received 
the  address  of  a  faithful  centurion  of  the  legion 
called  "  the  iron  legion,"'  (which  usually  quartered 

'  Dio.  IlisU  Rom.  lib.  Iv. 


iO  Tllli    SECOND    VEAK    OF 

in  Judea,)  in  behalf  of  his  servant,  vvliom  he  loved, 
and  who  was  grievously  afflicted  with  the  palsy; 
and  healed  him,  as  a  reward  and  honour  to  his 
faith :  and  from  thence  going  to  the  city  Nain.  lie 
raised  to  life  the  only  son  of  a  widow,  whom  the 
mourners  followed  in  the  street,  bearing  the  corpse 
sadly  to  his  funeral.  Upon  the  fame  of  these  and 
•livers  otlier  miracles,  John  the  Baptist,  who  was 
still  in  prison,  (for  he  was  not  put  to  death  till  the 
latter  end  of  this  year,)  sent  two  of  his  disciples  to 
him  by  divine  providence,  or  else  by  John's  desig- 
nation, to  minister  occasions  of  his  greater  publica- 
tion, inquiring  if  he  was  the  Messias.  To  whom 
Jesus  returned  no  answer,  but  a  demonstration 
taken  from  the  nature  of  the  thing,  and  the  glory  of 
the  miracles;  saying,  Return  to  John,  and  tell  him 
what  you  see;  'for  the  deaf  hear,  the  blind  see, 
the  lame  walk,  the  dead  are  raised,  and  the  lepers 
are  cleansed,  and  to  the  poor  the  gospel  is  preach- 
ed :''  which  were  the  characteristic  notes  of  the 
Messias,  according  to  the  predictions  of  the  holy 
j)rophets. 

8.  When  John's  disciples  were  gone  with  this 
answer,  Jesus  began  to  speak  concerning  John, 
"  of  the  austerity  and  holiness  of  his  person,  the 
greatness  of  his  function,  the  divinity  of  his  com- 
mission ;  saying,  that  he  was  greater  than  a  pro- 
phet, a  burning  and  shining  light,  the  Elias  that 
was  to  come,  and  the  consummation  or  ending  of 
the  old  prophets.  Adding  withal,  that  the  perverse- 
ness  of  that  age  was  most  notorious  in  the  enter- 
tainment of  himself  and  the  Baptist :  for  neither 
could   the  Baptist,  who  came   neither  eating  nor 

'  Isaiah,  wxv.  1,  .'>,  6. 


JESLs's    I'RI;aCHIN(J.  II 

drinkinp^,  (that  liy  liis  austerity  and  nioitifieil  de- 
portment lie  mig^lit  invade  the  jud<;ment  and  affec- 
tions of  the  people,)  nor  Jesus,  who  came  both 
eating'  and  drinking,  (that  by  a  moderate  and  an 
affable  lift ,  framed  to  the  compliance  and  common 
use  of  men,  he  might  sweetly  insinuate  into  the 
affections  of  the  multitude,)  obtain  belief  amongst 
them.  They  could  object  against  every  thing,  but 
nothing  could  please  them.  But  wisdom  and 
righteousness  had  a  theatre  in  its  own  family, 
and  is  justified  of  all  her  children.  Then  he  pro- 
ceeds to  a  more  applied  reprehension  of  Caper- 
naum and  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida,  for  being  per- 
tinaci(»us  in  their  sins  and  infidelity,  in  defiance 
and  reproof  of  all  the  mighty  works  which  had 
been  wrought  in  them.  But  these  things  were  not 
revealed  to  all  dispositions;  the  wise  and  the 
mighty  of  the  world  were  not  subjects  prepared 
for  the  simplicity  and  softer  impresses  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  the  downright  severity  of  its  sanctions. 
And  therefore  Jesus  glorified  God  for  the  magni- 
fying of  his  mercy,  in  that  these  things,  which 
were  hid  from  the  great  ones,  were  revealed  to 
babes  ;  and  concludes  this  sermon  with  an  invita- 
tion of  all  wearied  and  disconsolate  persons,  laden 
with  sin  and  miserj,  to  come  to  him,  promising 
ease  to  their  burdens,  and  refreshment  to  their 
weariness,  and  to  exchange  their  heavy  pressures 
into  an  easy  yoke,  and  a  light  burden." 

9.  When  Jesus  bad  ended  this  sermon,  one  of 
the  Pharisees  named  Simon,  invited  him  to  eat 
with  him  :'  into  whose  house  when  he  was  entered, 
a  certain  woman  that  was  a  sinner,  abiding  there 

'   Luke,  vil. 


12  THE    SECOND    YEAH    OF 

in  the  city,  heard  of  it :  her  name  was  jVlary.  She 
had  been  married  to  a  noble  personage,  a  native  of 
the  town  and  castle  of  ]Magdal,  from  whence  she 
had  her  name  of  Magdalen,  tliousi;h  she  herself  was 
born  in  Bethany.  A  widow  she  was,  and  prompted 
by  her  wealth,  liberty,  and  youth  to  an  intemperate 
life  and  too  free  entertainments.  She  came  to 
Jesus  into  the  Pharisee's  house  ;  not  (as  did  the 
staring  multitude)  to  glut  her  eyes  with  the  sight 
of  a  miraculous  and  glorious  |)erson  ;  nor  (as  did 
the  centurion,  or  the  Syro-()hcenician,  or  the 
ruler  of  the  synagogue)  for  cure  of  her  sickness,  or 
in  behalf  of  her  friend,  or  cliild,  or  servant;  but 
(the  only  example  of  so  coming)  slie  came  in 
remorse  and  regret  for  her  sins.  She  came  to 
Jesus  to  lay  her  burden  at  his  feet,  and  to  present 
him  with  a  broken  heart,  and  a  weeping  eye,  and 
great  affection,  and  a  box  of  nard  pislic,  salutary 
and  precious.  For  she  came  trembling,  and  fell 
down  before  him,  weeping  bitterly  for  her  sins, 
pouring  out  a  flood  great  enough  to  wash  the  feet 
of  the  blessed  Jesus,  and  wiping  them  with  the 
hairs  of  her  head  :  after  vvhicli  she  brake  the  box, 
and  anointed  his  feet  with  ointment.  Which  ex- 
pression was  so  great  an  ecstasy  of  love,  sorrow, 
and  adoration,  that  to  anoint  the  feet  even  of  the 
greatest  monarch  was  long  unknown,  and  in  all 
the  pomps  and  greatnesses  of  the  Roman  prodi- 
gality, it  was  not  used  till  Otho  taught  it  to  Nero, 
in  whose  instance  it  was  by  Pliny  reckoned  for  a 
prodigy  of  unnecessary  profusion  : '  and  in  itself, 
without  the  circumstance  of  so  free  a  dispensation, 
it  was  a  present  for  a  prince,  and  an  alabaster  box 

'   Plin.  Natur.  Hist.  lib.  xiii.  c.  .3.  Vide  Atlien.  Deipnosoph. 
lib,  xii.  c.  rtO.     Herodotus  in  Thalia. 


JKSLS'b   I'lUCACHlNa.  18 

of  naiil  pislic   was   sent  as  a  present   from  Cam- 
byses  to  the  kini;  of  yEtliiopia. 

10.  When  Simon  observed  this  sinner  so  busy 
in  the  expresses  of  her  religion  and  veneration  to 
Jesus,  he  thought  with  himself  that  this  was  no 
propliet,  that  did  not  know  her  to  be  a  sinner,  or 
no  just  person,  that  would  suffer  her  to  touch  liim. 
For  although  the  Jews'  religion  did  permit  harlots 
of  their  own  nation  to  live,  and  enjoy  the  privileges 
of  tlieir  nation,  save  that  their  oblations  were  re- 
fused ;  yet  the  Pharisees,  who  pretended  to  a 
greater  degree  of  sanctity  than  others,  would  not 
admit  them  to  civil  usages,  or  the  benefits  of  ordi- 
nary society  ;  and  thought  religion  itself,  and  the 
honour  of  a  prophet,  was  concerned  in  the  interests 
of  the  same  superciliousness.  And  therefore 
Simon  made  an  ol)jection  within  himself;  which 
Jesus  knowing  (for  he  understood  his  thoughts  as 
well  as  his  words)  made  her  apology  and  his  own 
in  a  civil  question,  expressed  in  a  parable  of  two 
debtors,  to  whom  a  greater  and  less  debt  n'sj)ec- 
tively  was  forgiven  ;  both  of  them  concluding,  that 
they  would  love  their  merciful  creditor  in  propor- 
tion to  his  mercy  and  donative.  And  this  was  tiie 
case  of  Mary  Magdalen,  to  whom,  because  mucli 
was  forgiven,  she  loved  much,  and  expressed  it  in 
characters  so  large,  that  the  Pharisee  might  read 
his  own  incivilities  and  inhospitai)le  entertainment 
of  the  Master,  when  it  stood  confronted  with  the 
magnificenc}^  of  Mary  Magdalen's  penance  and 
charity. 

11.  When  Jesus  had  dined  he  was  presented 
with  the  sad  siglilof  a  poor  demoniac, possessed  with 
a  blind  and  dumb  devil  ;  in  whose  behalf  his  friends 
untreated  Jesus  tliat  lie  would   cast  the  devil   out : 


14  THE    SECOND    YEAR    OF 

which  he  did  immediately;  and  the  lilind  man  saw, 
and  the  dumb  spake,  so  much  to  the  amazement 
of  the  people,  that  they  ran  in  so  prodi;4ious  com- 
panies after  him,  and  so  scandalized  llie  Pliaiisees, 
who  thoujjht  that  by  means  of  this  prophet  tlieir 
reputation  would  be  lessened,  and  their  schools 
empty,  tiiat  first  a  rumour  was  scattered  up  and 
down,  from  an  uncertain  principle,  but  communi- 
cated with  tumult  and  apparent  noises,  that  Jesus 
was  beside  himself.  Upon  which  rumour  his 
friends  and  kindred  came  together  to  see,  and  to 
make  provisions  accordingly;  and  the  holy  virgin- 
mother  came  herself,  but  without  any  apprehen- 
sions of  any  such  horrid  accident.  The  words  and 
things  she  had  from  the  beginning'  laid  up  in  her 
heart,  would  furnish  her  with  principles  exclusive 
of  all  apparitions  of  such  fancies:  but  she  came  to 
see  what  that  persecution  was,  which,  under  that 
colour,  it  was  likely  the  Pharisees  might  com- 
mence. 

12.  When  the  mother  of  Jesus  and  his  kindred 
came,  they  found  him  in  a  house  encircled  with 
people  full  of  wonder  and  admiration.  And  there 
the  holy  virgin-mother  might  hear  part  of  her  own 
prophecy  verified ,  That  the  generations  of  the 
earth  should  call  her  blessed :  for  a  woman  wor- 
ship[)ing  Jesus  cried  out,  'Blessed  is  the  womb 
that  bare  thee,  and  the  paps  that  gave  thee  suck.' 
To  this  Jesus  replied,  not  denying  her  to  be  highly 
blessed  who  had  received  the  honour  of  being  the 
mother  of  the  Messias,  but  advancing  the  dignities 
of  spiritual  excellencies  far  above  this  greatest 
temporal  honour  in  the  world;  '  Yea,  rather,  blessed 
are  they  that  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  do  it.' 
For  in  respect  of  the  issues  of  spiritual  perfections 


JESIS'S    PRnACniNG.  15 

and  their  proportiontible  benedictions,  all  immuni- 
ties and  temporal  honours  are  empty  and  hollow 
blessinp^s;  and  all  relations  of  kindred  disband  and 
eniply  themselves  into  the  great  channels  and 
floods  of  divinity. 

i;3.  For  when  Jesus  being-  in  the  house,  they 
told  him,  '  his  mother  and  his  brethren  staid  for 
him  without,'  he  told  them  those  relations  were 
less  than  the  ties  of  duty  and  religion.  For  those 
dear  names  of  mother  and  brethren,  which  are  hal- 
lowed by  tlie  laws  of  God  and  tlie  endearments  of 
nature,  are  made  far  more  sacred  when  a  spiritual 
cognation  does  supervene,  when  the  relations  are 
subjected  in  persons  religious  and  holy  :  but  if 
they  be  abstract  and  separate,  the  conjunction  of 
persons  in  spiritual  bands,  in  the  same  faith,  and 
the  same  hope,  and  the  union  of  them  in  the  same 
mystical  head,  is  an  adunation  nearer  to  identity 
than  tliose  distances  between  parents  and  children, 
which  are  only  cemented  by  the  actions  of  nature, 
as  it  is  of  distinct  consideration  from  the  spirit. 
For  Jesus,  pointing  to  his  disciples,  said,  '  Behold 
my  mother  and  my  brethren  ;  for  whosoever  doeth 
the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven,  he  is  my 
biother,  and  sister,  and  mother.' 

14.  But  the  Pharisees,  upon  tlie  occasion  of  the 
miracles,  renewed  tiie  old  quarrel:  'He  castetli 
outdevils  by  Bt;elzebub.  Which  senseless  and  illi- 
terate objection  Christ  having  confuted,  charged 
them  highly  upon  the  guilt  of  an  unpardonable 
crime;  telling  them  tiiat  the  so  charging  those  ac- 
tions of  his,  done  in  tiie  virtue  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
is  a  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost :  and  however 
they  might  be  bold  with  the  Son  of  Man,  ami 
prevarications  against  his  words,  or  injuries  to  his 


16  THE    SECOND    YEAR    OF 

person  miglit,  upon  repentance  and  baptism,  fintl 
a  pardon  ;  yet  it  was  a  matter  of  greater  considera- 
tion to  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  would 
find  no  pardon  here  nor  hereafter.  But  taking? 
occasion  upon  this  discourse,  he,  by  an  ingenious 
and  mysterious  parable,  gives  the  world  great  cau- 
tion of  recidivation  and  backsliding  after  repent- 
ance. For  if  the  '  devil  returns  into  an  house 
once  swept  and  garnished,  lie  briugeth  seven  spi- 
rits more  impure  than  himself;  and  the  last  estate 
of  that  man  is  worse  than  the  first.' 

15.  After  this,  Jesus  went  from  tlie  house  of  the 
Pharisee,  and  coming  to  the  sea  of  Tiberias  or  Gen- 
nesaret,  (for  it  was  called  the  sea  of  Tiberias  from 
a  town  on  the  banks  of  the  lake,)  taught  the  people 
upon  the  shore,  himself  sitting  in  the  ship.  But 
he  taught  them  by  parables,  under  which  were  hid 
mysterious  senses,  which  shined  through  their  veil, 
like  a  bright  s-un  through  an  eye  closed  with  a  thin 
eyelid  ;  it  being  light  enough  to  show  their  infi- 
delity, but  ml  to  dispel  those  thick  Egyptian 
darknesses  which  they  had  contracted  by  their  ha- 
bitual indispositions  and  pertinacious  aversations. 
By  the  parable  '  of  the  sower  scattering  his  seed 
by  the  way-side,'  and  *  some  on  stony,  some  on 
thorny,  some  on  good  ground,'  he  intimated  the 
several  capacities  or  indispositions  of  men's  hearts; 
the  carelessness  of  some,  the  frowardness  and 
levity  of  others,  the  easiness  and  softness  of  a  third, 
and  how  they  are  spoiled  with  worldliness  and 
cares,  and  how  many  ways  there  are  to  miscarry  ; 
and  that  but  one  sort  of  men  receive  the  word,  and 
bring  forth  the  fruits  of  a  holy  life.  By  the  para- 
ble of  tares  permitted  to  grow  amongst  the  wheat, 
he  intimated  the  toleration  of  dissenting  opinions 


jr.SLSS    I'KEACHJNO.  17 

not  destruclive  of  piety  or  civil  societies.  By  the 
three  parables  of"  tlie  seed  gio\vin<>;  insensibly,  of 
the  grain  of  mustanl-seecl  swellini;-  up  to  a  tree,  ot 
a  little  levcn  qualifyinj^  the  whole  lump,  he  siuni- 
fied  llie  increment  of  llie  i^ospei,  and  the  blessinos 
upon  the  apostolical  sermons. 

lt>.  Which  j)arables  when  he  had  privately  to 
his  apostles  rendered  into  their  proper  senses,  he 
addcti  to  them  two  parables  conccrnins^  the  cii-,-- 
nity  of  the  gospel;  comparing  it  to  '  treasure  hid  in 
a  field,'  and  '  a  jeuel  of  great  price,'  for  the  pur- 
chase of  which  every  good  merchant  must  quit  all 
that  lie  hath  rather  than  miss  it:  telling  tliem 
withal,  that  however  purity  and  spiritual  perfec- 
tions were  intfmded  by  the  gospel,  yet  it  would  not 
be  acquired  by  every  person;  but  the  public  pro- 
fessors of  Cliristianily  should  be  a  mixed  multitude, 
'  like  a  net  enclosing  fislies  ofood  and  l>ad.'  After 
which  discourses  he  retired  from  the  sea-side,  and 
went  to  his  own  city  of  Nazareth  ;  w  here  lie 
preached  so  excellently  upon  certain  words  of  the 
prophet  Isaiah,'  that  all  the  people  wondered  at  the 
wistiom  \\  Inch  he  expressed  in  his  divine  discourses. 
But  the  men  of  Nazareth  did  not  do  honour  to  the 
prophet,  that  was  their  countryman,  because  they 
knew  him  in  all  the  disadvantages  of  youth,  and 
kindred,  and  trade,  and  poverty ;  still  retaining  in 
their  minds  the  infirmities  and  humilities  of  his  first 
years,  and  keeping  the  same  a|)prehensious  of  hiui, 
a  man,  a  glorious  prophet,  which  ihey  had  to  him  a 
child  in  the  shop  of  a  carpenter.  But  when  .Tesus, 
in  his  sermon,  had  reproved  their  infidelity,  at 
which  he  wondered,  and  therefore  did  but  lew  mi- 

'  Isaiah,  l\i.  I 
vol-.     II.  -•! 


18      THE    SIXOND    YKAR    OF    JE^L's's    PRRACHINO. 

racles  there  in  respect  of  what  he  had  done  at  Ca- 
pernaum, and  intimaled  the  prelation  of  that  city 
before  Nazareth,  '  they  thrust  him  out  of  the  city, 
and  led  him  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  on  which  the 
city  was  built,'  intending  '  to  throw  him  down 
headlong.'  But  his  work  was  not  yet  finished, 
therefore  he, '  passing  through  the  midst  of  them, 
went  his  way.' 

17.  Jesus  therefore,  departing  from  Nazareth, 
M'ent  up  and  down  to  all  the  towns  and  castles  of 
Galilee,  attended  by  his  disciples,  and  certain  wo- 
men out  of  whom  he  had  cast  unclean  spirits;  such 
as  were  Mary  iMagdalene;  Johanna,  wife  to  Chuza, 
Herod's  steward  ;  Susanna,  and  some  others,  who 
did  for  him  offices  of  provision,  and  '  ministered  to 
him  out  of  their  own  substance,'  and  became  part  of 
that  holy  college  w  hich  about  this  time  began  to  be 
full ;  because  now  the  apostles  were  returned  irom 
their  preaching,  full  of  joy  tliat  the  devils  were 
inade  subject  to  the  word  of  their  mouth,  and  the 
empire  of  their  prayers,  an  J  invocation  of  the  holy 
name  of  Jesus.  But  their  master  gave  them  a  leni- 
tive to  assuage  the  tumour  and  excrescency,  inti- 
mating that  such  privileges  are  not  solid  founda- 
tions of  a  holy  joy,  but  so  far  as  they  co-operate 
toward  the  great  end  of  God's  glory  and  their  own 
salvation  ;  to  which  when  they  are  consigned,  and 
'  their  names  written  in  heaven,'  in  the  book  of 
election  and  registers  of  predestination,  then  their 
joy  is  reasonable,  holy,  true,  and  perpetual.' 

18.  But  when  Herod  had  heard  these  things  of 
Jesus,  presently  his  apprehensions  were  such  as 
derived  from  his  guilt :  he  thought  it  was  John  the 

'  Vide  Discourse  of  the  Certainly  of  Salvatioti;  Num.  'i. 


r.XCELl  F.Nc  V    Ol-     lilt    tlllUSrUN    RKLIGION.       19 

Uaptist  who  was  risen  from  Uie  dead,  and  that 
these  mi<;lity  works  were  demonstrations  of  his 
power,  increased  by  the  sii[)eradditions  of  immorta- 
lity and  diviner  influences,  made  proportionable  to 
the  honour  of  a  martyr  and  the  state  of  separation  : 
for  a  little  before  this  time  Herod  had  sent  to  the 
castle  of  INIacheruns,  where  John  was  prisoner,  and 
caused  him  to  be  beheaded.  His  head  Herodias 
buried  in  her  own  palace,  thinkins?  to  secure  it 
uy:ainst  a  reunion,  lest  it  should  again  disturb  her 
unlawful  lusts,  and  disquiet  Herod's  conscience. 
But  the  body  the  disciples  of  John  gathered  up, 
and  carried  it,  with  honour  and  sorrow,  and  buried 
it  in  Sebaste,  in  the  confines  of  Samaria,  making 
his  grave  between  the  bodies  of  Elizeus  and  Abdias 
the  prophets.  And  about  tliis  time  was  the  pass- 
over  of  the  Jews. 


DISCOURSE  XV. 

Of  the  Excellency ,  Ease,  Reasonableness,  and  Advan- 
iages  of  hearing  Christ's  Yoke,  and  living  accord- 
ing to  his  Institution. 

I.  The  holy  Jesus  came  to  break  from  ort  our 
necks  two  great  yokes;  the  one  of  sin,  by  which 
we  were  fettered  and  imi)risoned  in  the  condi- 
tion of  slaves  and  miserable  persons ;  the  other 
of  Moses's  law,  by  which  we  were  kept  in  pu- 
pilage and  minority,  and  a  state  of  imperfection: 
and  asserted  us  into  '  the  glorious  liberty  of  tiie 
sons  of  God.'  Tlie  first  was  a  despotic  empire,  and 
the  government  of  a  tyrant :  the  second  was  of 
u   schoolmaster,  severe,    absolute,  and  imperious; 


20  EXCI:  I.LLVrV    or     IHE 

but  it  was  in  order  to  a  further  good,  yet  nothing 
pleasant  in  the  sufferance  and  load.  And  now 
Christ,  having  taken  off  these  two,  hath  put  on  a 
third.  He  quits  us  of  our  burden,  but  not  of  our 
duty  ;  and  hath  changed  the  former  tyranny  and 
the  less  perfect  discipline  into  the  sweetness  of  pa- 
ternal regiment,  and  the  excellency  of  such  an 
institution,  whose  every  precept  carries  part  of  its 
reward  in  hand,  and  assurances  of  after  glories. 
Moses's  law  was  like  sharp  and  unpleasant  physic, 
certainly  painful,  but  uncertainly  healthful  :  for  it 
was  not  then  communicated  to  them  !iy  j)romise 
and  universal  revelations,  that  the  e;:d  of  their 
obedience  should  be  life  eternal ;  but  they  were 
full  of  hopes  it  might  be  so,  as  we  are  of  health, 
when  we  have  a  learned  and  wise  physician.  But 
as  yet  the  reward  was  in  a  cloud,  and  the  hopes  in 
fetters  and  confinement.  But  the  law  of  Christ  is 
like  Christ's  healing  of  diseases;  he  does  it  easily, 
and  he  does  it  infallibly.  The  event  is  certainly 
consequent,  and  the  manner  of  cure  is  by  a  touch 
of  his  hand,  or  a  word  of  his  mouth,  or  an  ajiproxi- 
mation  to  the  hem  of  his  garment,  without  pain 
and  vexatious  instruments.  My  meaning  is, 
that  Christianity  is,  by  the  assistance  of  Christ's 
Spirit,  which  he  promised  us,  and  gave  us  in  the 
gospel,  made  very  easy  to  us:  and  yet  a  reward  so 
great  is  promised,  as  were  enough  to  make  a  lame 
man  to  walk,  and  a  broken  arm  endure  the  bur- 
den ;  a  reward  great  enough  to  make  us  willing  to 
do  violence  to  all  our  inclinations,  passions,  and 
desires.  A  hundred  weight  to  a  giant  is  a  light 
burden,  because  his  strength  is  disproportionably 
gieat,  and  niake:^  il  a'<  ea^y  to  liim  as  an  ounce  is 
U)  a  chiKl.      And  vet  ii'ut;  iii'.d  i;<>l   the  strength  of 


fniMsiiAN    iii;lii.h>n.  21 

giants,  illliti  liuiHhctl  uei^lit  wfie  of  gohi  or  jewels, 
a  weaker  person  woukl  think  it  no  trouble  to  bear 
that  burden,  if  it  were  the  reward  of  his  portai^e, 
and  the  hire  olhis  labours.  The  Spirit  is  given  to  us 
to  enable  us,  and  heaven  is  promised  to  encourage 
us:  the  iirst  makes  us  able,  and  the  second  makes 
us  willing-;  and  when  we  have  power  ant!  affec- 
tions we  cannot  complain  of  pressure.  And  this 
is  the  meaning  of  our  blessed  Saviour's  invitation  : 
'  Come  unto  me,  for  my  burden  is  light,  my  yoke 
is  easy.''  Which  St.  John  also  observed:  '  For 
this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep  his  com- 
mandments ;  and  his  commandments  are  not 
grievous;'  for  '  w'hatsoever  is  born  of  God,  over- 
comclli  the  world  :  and  this  is  tlie  victory  that 
overcomelh,  even  our  faith  ;'*  that  is,  our  belief  of 
God's  promises,  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  for  pre- 
sent aid,  and  of  heaven  for  the  future  reward,  is 
strong  enough  to  overcome  all  the  world. 

2.  But  besides  that  God  hath  made  Iiis  yoke 
easy  by  exterior  supports,  more  than  ever  was  in 
any  other  religion,  Christianity  is  of  itself,  accord- 
ing to  human  estimate,  a  religion  more  easy  and 
desirable  by  our  natural  and  reasonable  appetites, 
than  sin,  in  the  midst  of  all  its  pleasures  and  ima- 
ginary felicities.  Virtue  hath  more  pleasure  in  it 
than  sin,  and  hath  all  satisfactions  to  every  desire 
of  man  in  order  to  human  and  prudent  ends; 
which  I  shall  represent  in  the  consideration  of  these 
))arliculars :  1,  To  live  according  to  the  laws  of 
.fesiis,  is  in  some  things  most  natural  and  propor- 
tionable to  the  desires  and  first  intentions  of  nature. 
'2,  There   is  in  it  less   trouble  than  in  sin.     3,  It 

'  Mutt.  xi.  2H,  30.  '•  John,  v.  3,  4. 


22  rxcFi.i.KNcv  or  the 

conduces  infinitely  to  t!ie  conlent  of  om-  li"  s,  .•;•>'! 
natural  and  political  satisfactions.  4,  It  is  a 
means  to  preserve  our  temporal  lives  long^  and 
healthy.  5,  It  is  most  reasonable;  and  he  only  is 
prudent  that  does  so,  and  he  is  a  fool  that  does  not. 
And  all  this  besides  the  considerations  of  a  glorious 
and  happy  eternity. 

3.  Concerning  the  first,  I  consider  that  we  do 
very  ill,  when,  instead  of  making  our  natural  in- 
firmity an  instrument  of  humility  and  of  recourse 
to  the  grace  of  God,  we  pretend  the  sin  of 
Adam  to  countenance  our  actual  sins,  natural 
infirmity  to  excuse  our  malice  ;  either  laying  Adam 
in  fault,  for  deriving  the  disability  upon  us,  or  God, 
for  putting  us  into  the  necessity.  But  the  evils 
that  we  feel  in  this  are  from  the  rebellion  of  the 
inferior  appe'ite  against  reason,  or  against  any  re- 
ligion that  puts  restraint  upon  our  first  desires: 
and  therefore,  in  carnal  and  sensual  instances, 
accidentally  we  find  the  more  natural  averseness, 
because  God's  laws  have  put  our  irascible  and  con- 
cupiscible  faculties  in  fetters  and  restraints.  Yft 
in  matters  of  duty,  which  are  of  immaterial  and 
spiritual  concernment,  all  our  natural  reason  is  a  per- 
fect enemy  and  contradiction  to,  and  a  law  against 
vice.  It  is  natural  for  us  to  love  our  parents,  and 
they  who  do  not  are  unnatural ;  they  do  violence 
to  those  dispositions  which  God  gave  us  to  tiie 
constitution  of  our  nature,  and  for  the  designs  of 
virtue :  and  all  those  tendernesses  of  affection, 
tliose  bowels  and  relenting  dispositions,  which  are 
the  endearments  of  parents  and  children,  are  also 
the  bands  of  duty.  Evei'y  degree  of  love  makes 
duty  delectable;  and  therefore,  either  by  nature 
we   are   inclined    to    hate    our   parents,   \\hich    is 


CHinSTIAN    REI.IOION.  !J3 

anf.iin'^t  all  reason  and  experience,  or  else  we  are 
by  nature  inclined  to  do  them  all  that  which  is 
tlie  effect  of  love  to  such  superiors,  and  principles 
of  being  and  dependency  :  and  every  prevarication 
horn  the  rule,  effects,  and  expresses  of  love  is  a 
contradiction  to  nature,  and  a  mortification ;  to 
which  we  cannot  be  invited  by  any  thin<2^  from 
.vithin,  but  by  somethinjj-  from  without,  that  is  vio- 
lent and  preternatural.  There  are  also  many  other 
virtues,  even  in  the  matter  of  sensual  appetite, 
which  none  can  lose,  but  by  altering  in  some  de- 
gree the  natural  disposition  :  and  I  instance  in  the 
matter  of  carnality  and  uncleanness,  to  which  pos- 
sibly some  natures  may  think  themselves  apt  and 
disposed  :  but  yet  (iod  liath  put  into  our  mouths  a 
bridle  to  curb  the  licentiousness  of  our  speedy 
appetite,  putting  into  our  very  natures  a  principle 
as  strong  to  restrain  it,  as  there  is  in  us  a  disposi- 
tion apt  to  invite  us:  and  this  is  also  in  persons 
who  are  most  apt  to  the  vice,  women  and  young 
persons,  to  whom  God  hath  given  a  modesty  and 
shame  of  nature,  that  the  entertainments  of  lust 
may  become  contradictions  to  our  retreating  and 
backward  modesty,  more  than  they  are  satisfactions 
to  our  too-forward  appetites.  It  is  as  great  a  mor- 
tification and  violence  to  nature  to  blush  as  to 
lose  a  desire  :  and  we  find  it  true,  when  persons 
are  invited  to  confess  tlieir  sins,  or  to  ask  forgive- 
ness publicly,  a  secret  smart  is  not  so  violent  as  a 
public  shame;  and  therefore  to  do  an  action  which 
brings  shame  all  along,  and  opens  the  sanctuaries 
of  nature,  and  makes  all  her  retirements  public, 
and  dismantles  her  inclosure,  as  lust  does;  and  the 
shame  of  carnality  hath  in  it  more  asperity  and 
abuse  to  nature,  than  llic  short  pleasure  to  which 


24  KKCELLENCY    OF     IHE 

we  are  invited  can  repay.  There  are  unnatural 
lusts,  lusts  which  are  sucli  in  their  very  condition 
and  constitution,  that  a  man  must  turn  a  woman, 
and  a  woman  become  a  beast  in  acting-  tliem  :  and 
all  lusts  that  are  not  unnatural  in  theii  own  com- 
plexion, are  unnatural  by  a  consequent  and  acci- 
dental violence  :  and  if  lust  hath  in  it  dissonances 
to  nature,  there  are  but  few  apologies  left  to  ex- 
cuse our  sins  upon  nature's  stock :  and  all  that 
system  of  principles  and  reasonable  inducements 
to  virtue,  wliich  we  call  the  law  of  nature,  is 
nothing  else  but  that  firm  ligature  and  incorpora- 
tion of  virtue  to  our  natural  principles  and  disposi- 
tions, which  whoso  prevaricates  does  more  against 
nature  than  lie  that  restrains  his  appetite  :  and,  be- 
sides these  particulars,  liiere  is  not  in  our  natural 
discourse  any  inclination,  directly  and  by  intention 
of  itself,  contrary  to  the  love  of  God  ;  because  by 
God  we  understand  a  fountain  of  being  which  is 
infinitely  perfect  in  itself,  and  of  great  good  to  us; 
and  whatsoever  is  so  apprehended  it  is  as  natural 
for  us  to  love  as  to  love  any  thing  in  the  world  ; 
for  we  can  love  nothing  but  what  we  believe  to  be 
good  in  itself,  or  good  to  us.'  And  beyond  this, 
there  are  in  nature  many  principles  and  reasons  to 
make  an  aptness  to  acknowledge  and  confess  God  ; 
and  by  the  consent  of  nations,  which  they  also  have 
learned  from  the  dictates  of  their  nature,  all  men 

'  Eyw  yd()  8k  dv  uSk  dWo  Trtpi  BtH  o,  Ti  uv  ilvoijii  tx^j 
7/  on  ayaQoQ  ti  Travrd  -Kaan'  thi,  ki  ^vfiiravra  iv  ry  t^»ciif 
ry  avTH  t-^ii'  Xtykrw  ck  wa-io  yivioaKnv  iKacroQ  virko 
aiirGiv  oltrai,  K)  'iipiv<;  icj  idnoTi)t;. — Procop.  Gothic,  i. — ''This 
is  all  I  would  say  concerning  God,  namely,  that  he  is  good, 
and  all  in  all,  and  that  he  ruleth  overall.  Let  every  one  speak 
of  him.  both  priest  and  private  man,  according  to  his  know- 
ledge." 


tHKISIIAN     Rt.LIUtON.  2h 

in  some  manner  or  other  worship  God  ;  anti  tlicre- 
fore,  when  this  our  nature  is  (fetermine^l  in  it<  own 
indefinite  ])rinciple  to  the  manner  of  worship,  all 
acts  aijainst  the  love,  the  obedience,  and  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  are  also  ao^ainst  nature,  and  offer  it 
some  rudeness  and  violence:  and  I  shall  observe 
this,  and  refer  it  to  every  man's  reason  and  expe- 
rience, that  the  fjreatest  difficulties  of  virtue  com- 
monly apprehended,  commence  not  so  much  upon 
the  stock  of  nature,  as  of  education  and  evil  habits.' 
Our  virtues  are  difficult,  because  we  at  first  get  ill 
habits;  and  these  habits  must  be  unrooted  before 
we  do  well,  and  that  is  our  trouble.  But,  if  by  the 
.'>trictness  of  discipline  and  wholesome  education, 
we  begin  at  first  in  our  duty  and  the  practice  of 
virtuous  principles,  we  shall  find  virtue  made  as 
natural  to  us,  while  it  is  customary  and  haliitual, 
as  we  pretend  infirmity  to  be  and  pro|)ensity  to 
vicious  practices.  And  this  we  are  tauf^ht  by  that 
excellent  Hebrew,  who  said,  '  "Wisdom  is  easily 
seen  of  them  that  love  her,  and  found  of  such  as 
seek  her.  She  preventeth  them  that  desire  her,  in 
making  herself  first  known  unto  them.  ^Yhoso 
seeketh  her  early  shall  have  no  great  travail;  for 
he  shall  find  her  sitting  at  his  doors." 

4.  Secondly,  In  the  strict  observances  of  the  law 
of  Christianity  there  is  less  trouble  than  in  the 
habitual  cnuisesof  sin  :'  for  if  we  consider  the  ge- 

'  Siquidein  Lconidcs  Alexandii  pacdagogus  quibubdain  enni 
ritiis  inibuit,  qiue  robustuiii  (juoque  et  jam  niaxinuim  rej^em  ;ib 
ilia  instilutione  jnurili  sunt  prosecuta.  (Juintil  HI),  i.  c.  1. — 
"  Leon'ulas,  the  instructor  of  Alexander,  imbued  liim  with  some 
»ices.  which  thence  infected  him  when  lie  was  became  a  <;reat 
»nd  powerful  king.  ' 

'  Wisdom,  vi.  12,  13,  U. 

*  Multo   difficilius   CM   fuctrt-    ista  qiue  facili^.     Quid  cnini 


"SB  EXCELLFNCY     OF    THE 

neral  tlesif^n  of  Christianity,  it  ])ropnuiuls  to  us  in 
tills  world  nothing  that  is  of  difficult  purchase,  no- 
thing beyond  that  God  allots  us  by  the  ordinary  and 
common  providence;  such  things  which  we  are  to 
receive  without  care  and  solicitous  vexation :  so 
that  the  erds  are  not  big,  and  the  way  is  easy  ; 
and  this  walked  over  with  much  simplicity  and 
sweetness,  and  those  obtained  without  difficulty. 
He  that  propounds  to  himself  to  live  low,  pious, 
humble,  and  retired,  his  main  employment  is  no- 
thing but  sitting  quiet  and  undisturbed  with  variety 
of  impertinent  affairs  :  but  he  that  loves  the  world 
and  its  acquisitions,  entertains  a  thousand  busi- 
nesses, and  every  business  hath  a  world  of  em- 
ployment, and  every  employment  is  multiplied 
and  made  intricate  by  circumstances,  and  every 
circumstance  is  to  be  disputed,  and  he  that  dis- 
putes ever  hath  two  sides  in  enmity  and  opposi- 
tion;  and  by  this  time  there  is  a  genealogy,  a  long 
descent  and  cognation  of  troubles,  l)ranched  into 
so  many  particulars  that  it  is  troublesome  to  un- 
derstand  them,  and   much   more    to  run   through 

quiete  otiosius  est  animi  ?  Quid  ira  laboriosius  ?  Quid  de- 
mentia remissius  ?  Quid  crudelitate  negotiosius  ?  Vacat  pu- 
dicitia,  libido  occupatissima  est.  Omnium  denique  virtutuiii 
tutpla  facilior  est;  vitia  magno  coluntur.  Seneca.  —  "The 
tilings  which  you  do  are  much  more  difficult.  For  what  is 
more  easy  than  tranquillity  of  mind  ?  ^^'hat  more  laborious 
than  anger  ?  What  is  more  free  than  clemency,  or  more  fully 
occupied  tlian  cruelty  ?  Hlodesty  enjoys  leisure ;  lust  is  always 
occupied.  The  preservation,  in  short,  of  all  the  virtues  is  com- 
paratively easy ;  the  vices  are  cherished  with  danger  and  diffi- 
culty." 

In  vitiis  abit  voluptas,  manet  lurpitudo  ;  cum  in  recte  factis 
abeat  labor,  maneat  honestas.  I\Iuson. — "  'J'he  pleasure  con- 
ferred by  vice  soon  vanishes  :  the  turpitude  remains.  On  the 
other  hand,  when  the  labour  of  good  actions  is  over,  the  virtue 
and  ils  recompense  still  exist." 


CHUISTIAN    RKLIUION.  27 

them.  The  ways  of  virtue  are  very  much  upon 
the  defensive,  and  the  work  one,  uniform,  and 
little  :  tliey  are  like  watch  within  a  stronp^  castle;  if 
they  stand  upon  their  {^uard,  tiiey  seldom  need  to 
strike  a  stroke  :  but  vice  is  like  storming  of  a  fort, 
full  of  noise,  trouble,  labour,  danger,  and  disease. 
How  easy  a  thing  is  it  to  restore  the  pledge  ?  but 
if  a  man  means  to  defeat  him  that  trusted  him, 
what  a  world  of  arts  must  he  use  to  make  pre- 
tences !  to  delay  first,  tlien  to  excuse,  then  to  ob- 
ject, then  to  intricate  the  business;  next  to  quar- 
rel, then  to  forswear  it,  and  all  the  way  to  palliate 
his  crime,  and  represent  himself  honest  !  And  if 
an  oppressing  and  greedy  person  have  a  design  to 
cozen  a  young  heir,  or  to  get  his  neighbour's 
land,  the  cares  of  every  day,  and  the  interruptions 
of  every  night's  sleep  are  more  than  the  purchase 
is  worth :  whereas,  he  might  buy  virtue  at  half 
that  watching,  and  the  less  painful  care  of  a  fewer 
number  of  days.  A  plain  story  is  soonest  told,  and 
best  confutes  an  intricate  lie.  And  wlien  a  per- 
son is  examined  in  judgment,  one  false  answer  asks 
more  wit  for  its  support  and  maintenance  than  a 
liistory  of  truth.  And  such  persons  are  put  to  so 
many  shameful  retreats,  false  colours,  fucuses,  and 
daubings  with  untempered  mortar,  to  avoid  con- 
tradiction or  discovery,  tiiat  the  labour  of  a  false 
story  seems  in  the  order  of  things  to  be  designed 
the  beginning  of  its  punishment:  and  if  we  consi- 
der how  great  a  part  of  our  religion  consists  in 
prayer,  and  how  easy  a  thing  God  requires  of  us 
when  he  commands  us  to  pray  for  blessings,  the 
duty  of  a  Christian  cannot  seem  very  trouble- 
some. 


29  EXCHLF.NCY    OF     I  HE 

5.  And  indeed  I  can  liurdly  instanre  in  arty 
vice,  but  there  is  visibly  more  pain  in  the  orrier  of 
acting-  and  observing'  it,  than  in  the  acquist  or  pro- 
motion of  virtLip.  I  have  seen  drunken  persons,  in 
their  seas  of  drink  and  talk,  dread  every  cup  as  a 
blow ;  and  they  have  used  devices  and  private  arts 
to  escape  the  punishment  of  a  full  draught;  and 
the  poor  wretch,  being-  condemned  by  the  laws  of 
drinking  to  his  measure,  was  forced  and  haled  to 
execution  ;  and  he  suffered  it,  and  thought  himself 
engaged  to  that  person,  who  with  much  kindness 
and  importunity  invited  him  to  a  fever :  but  cer- 
tainly there  was  more  pain  in  it  than  the  strictness 
of  holy  and  severe  temperance:  and  he  that  shall 
compare  the  troubles  and  dangers  of  an  ambitious 
war,  with  the  gentleness  and  easiness  of  peace,  will 
soon  perceive  that  every  tyrant  a"nd  usurping 
prince  that  snatches  at  his  neighbour's  rights 
hath  two  armies,  one  of  men  and  the  other  of 
cares.  Peace  sheds  no  blood,  but  of  the  pruned 
vine;  and  hath  no  business,  but  modest  and 
quiet  entertainments  of  the  time,  opportune  for 
piety,  and  circled  with  reward.  But  God  often 
punishes  ambition  and  pride  with  lust;  and  he 
sent  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  as  a  corrective  to  the 
elevations  and  grandezza  of  St.  Paul,  growing  up 
from  the  multitude  of  his  revelations:  and  it  is 
likely  the  punishment  should  have  less  trouble  than 
the  crime,  whose  pleasures  and  obliquity  this  was 
designed  to  punish.  And  indeed  every  experi- 
ence can  verify,  that  an  adulterer  hath  in  him  the 
impatience  of  desires,  the  burnings  of  lust,  the  fear 
of  shame,  the  apprehensions  of  a  jealous,  abused, 
and  an   enraged   husband.     He   endures   affronts, 


CHRlsnVN     RLI.KilON.  29 

Boisliniinnjs,  tedious  waitings,  the  dulness  of  de- 
lay, the  rcf^ret  of  interruption,  the  confusion  tuid 
amazements  of  discovery,  the  scorn  of  a  reproached 
vice,  tlie  dehusino^s  of  contempt  upon  it ;  unless  the 
man  g^rows  impudent,  and  then  he  is  more  miser- 
able upon  another  stock.  But  David  was  so  put 
to  it  to  attempt,  to  obtain,  to  enjoy  Bathsheba,  and 
to  prevent  the  shame  of  it,  that  the  difficulty  was 
ijreater  than  all  his  wit  and  power ;  and  it  drove 
him  into  base  and  unworthy  arts,  which  discovered 
him  the  more,  and  multiplied  his  crime.  But 
while  he  enjoyed  the  innocent  pleasures  of  his 
lawful  beil,  he  had  no  more  trouble  in  it  than  there 
was  in  inclining  his  head  upon  his  pillow.  The 
ways  of  sin  are  crooked,  desert,  rocky,  and  un- 
even. They  are  'broad''  indeed,  and  there  is  va- 
riety of  ruins,  and  allurements  to  entice  fools,  and 
a  lar^e  theatre  to  act  the  bloody  trafjedies  of  souls 
upon  ;  but  they  are  nothing;  smooth,  or  safe,  or  de- 
licate. The  ways  of  virtue  are  strait,  but  not 
crooked ;  narrow,  but  not  unpleasant.  There  are 
two  vices  for  one  virtue;  and  therefore  the  way  to 
hell  must  needs  be  of  f^reater  extent,  latitude,  and 
dissemination  :  but  because  virtue  is  but  one  way, 
therefore  it  is  easy,  regular,  and  apt  to  walk  in 
without  error  or  diversions.  '  Narrow  is  the  gate, 
and  strait  is  the  way ;'  it  is  true,  considering  our 
evil  customs  and  depraved  natures,  by  which  we 
liave  made  it  so  to  us.  But  God  hath  made  it  more 
passable  by  his  grace  and  present  aids:  and  St. 
John  Baptist  receiving  his  commission  to  preach 
repentance,  it  was  expressed  in  these  words,  '  Make 
plain  the  paths  of  the  Lord.'     Indeed   repentance 

»   M'isdom,  V.  7. 


30  KXC^M,t^cy  oi   the 

is  ;i  rough  and  ;i  sharp  virtue,  and  like  a  mattock 
and  spade  breaks  away  all  the  roughnesses  of  the 
passage,  and  hinderances  of  sin :  but  when  we 
enter  into  the  dispositions  which  Christ  hath  de- 
signed to  us,  the  way  is  more  plain  and  easy  than 
the  ways  of  death  and  hell.  Labour  it  hath  in  it, 
just  as  all  things  that  are  excellent;  but  no  con- 
i'usions,  no  distractions  of  thoughts,  no  amaze- 
ments, no  labyrinths  and  intricacy  of  counsels: 
l>ut  it  is  like  the  labours  of  agriculture,  full  of 
healtli  and  simplicity,  plain  and  profitable,  requir- 
ing diligence,  but  such  in  which  crafts  and  painful 
stratagems  are  useless  and  impertinent.  But  vice 
hath  oflentimes  so  troublesome  a  retinue,  and  so 
many  objections  in  the  event  of  things,  is  so  entan- 
gled in  difficult  and  contradictory  circumstances, 
hath  in  it  parts  so  opposite  to  each  other,  and  so 
inconsistent  with  the  present  condition  of  the  man, 
or  some  secret  design  of  his,  that  those  little  plea- 
sures which  are  its  fucus  and  pretence  are  less 
perceived  and  least  enjoyed,  while  they  begin  in 
fantastic  semblances,  and  rise  up  in  smoke,  vain 
and  hurtful,  and  end  in  dissatisfaction. 

6.  But  it  is  considerable  that  God,  and  the  sin- 
ner, and  the  devil,  all  join  in  increasing  the  diffi- 
culty and  trouble  of  sin ;  upon  contrary  designs 
indeed,  but  all  co-operat^  to  the  verification  of  lliis 
discourse.  For  God,  by  his  restraining  grace,  and 
the  checks  of  a  tender  conscience,  and  the  bands 
of  public  honesty,  and  the  sense  of  honour  and  re- 
putation ;  and  the  customs  of  nations,  and  the  se- 
verities of  laws,  makes  that  in  most  men  the 
choice  of  vice  is  imperfect,  dubious,  and  trouble- 
some, and  the  pleasures  abated,  and  the  apprehen- 
sions various  and   in  differing  degrees;  and  men 


CHfllSIIAN    RELIGION.  31 

oct  their  crimes  while  ihey  are  disputing  against 
them,  and  tlie  balance  is  cast  hy  a  few  grains,  and 
scruples  vex  and  disquiet  the  possession  :  and  the 
diflerence  is  perceived  to  be  so  little,  that  inconsi- 
deration  and  inadvertency  is  the  greatest  means  to 
tietermine  many  men  to  the  entertainment  of  a  sin. 
And  this  God  does  with  a  design  to  lessen  our 
choice,  and  to  disabuse  our  persuasions  from  ar- 
guments and  weak  pretences  of  vice,  and  to  invite 
us  to  the  trials  of  virtue,  when  we  see  its  enemy 
giving  us  so  ill  conditions.  And  yet  the  sinner 
himself  makes  the  business  of  sin  greater:  for  its 
nature  is  so  loathsome,  and  its  pleasure  so  little, 
and  its  promises  so  unperformed,  that  wlien  it  lies 
open,  easy,  and  apt  to  be  discerned,  there  is  no  ar- 
gument in  it  ready  to  invite  us:  and  men  hate  a 
\  ice  which  is  every  day  offered  and  prostitute; 
and  when  they  seek  for  pleasure,  unless  difficulty 
presents  it,  as  there  is  nothing  in  it  really  to  per- 
suade a  choice,  so  there  is  nothing  strong  or  witty 
enough  to  abuse  a  man.  And  to  this  purpose 
(amongst  some  others,  which  are  malicious  and 
crafty)  the  devil  gives  assistance,  knowing  that 
men  despise  what  is  cheap  and  common,  an«l  sus- 
pect a  latent  excellency  to  be  in  diflicult  and  for- 
bidden objects :  and  therefore  tlie  devil  sometimes 
crosses  an  opportunity  of  sin,  knowing  that  the  de- 
sire is  the  iniquity  and  does  his  work  sufficiently  ; 
and  yet  the  crossing  the  desire  by  impeding  the  act 
heightens  the  appetite,  and  makes  it  more  violent 
and  impatient.  I?ut  by  all  these  means  sin  is 
made  more  troublesome  than  the  pleasures  of  the 
temptation  can  account  for :  and  it  will  be  a  strange 
imprudence  to  leave  virtue  «|>on  pretence  of  its 
difficulty,  when  for  thai  very  reason  we  the  rather 


32  KXCLlLliNCY    ryp    THF. 

euteitaiu  the  instances  of  sin,  despising  a  cheap 
sin  and  a  costly  virtue;  choosing-  to  walk  lluouijh 
the  brambles  of  a  desert,  rather  than  to  ciiujb  the 
fruit-trees  of  paradise. 

7.  Thirdly,  Virtue  conduces  infinitely  to  the  con- 
tent of  our  lives,  to  secular  felicities  and  political 
satisfactions;  and  vice  does  the  quite  contrary. 
For  tlie  blessings  of  this  life  are  these  that  make  it 
happy,  peace  and  quietness,  content  and  satisfac- 
tion of  desires,  riches,  love  of  friends  and  neigh- 
bours, honour  and  reputation  abroad,  a  healthful 
body,  and  a  long  life.  This  last  is  a  distinct  con- 
sideration, but  the  other  are  proper  to  this  title. 
For  the  first  it  is  certain,  peace  was  so  designed  by 
the  holy  Jesus,  that  he  framed  all  his  laws  in  com-^ 
pliance  to  that  design.  He  that  returns  gootl  (or 
evil,  a  soft  answer  to  the  asperity  of  his  entmy, 
kindnesses  to  injuries,  lessens  the  contention  al- 
ways, and  sometimes  gets  a  friend,  and  when  he 
does  not,  he  shames  his  enemy.  Every  little  acci- 
dent in  a  family  to  peevish  and  angry  persons  is 
the  matter  of  a  quarrel,  and  every  quarrel  discom- 
poses the  peace  of  the  house,  and  sets  it  on  fire; 
and  no  man  can  tell  how  far  that  may  burn,  it  may 
be  to  a  dissolution  of  the  whole  fabric.  But  who- 
soever obeys  the  laws  of  Jesus,  bears  with  tiie  in- 
firmities of  his  relatives  and  society,  seeks  with 
sweetness  to  remedy  what  is  ill,  and  to  prevent 
what  it  may  produce,  and  throws  water  upon  a 
spark,  and  lives  sweetly  with  his  wife,  affectionately 
with  his  children,  providently  and  discreetly  with 
his  servants;  and  they  all  love  the  major-do  mo,  a.n<\ 
look  upon  him  as  their  parent,  their  guardian,  their 
friend,  their  patron,  their  proveditore.  But  look 
upon   a   person    angry,    peaceless,   and  dislurbe(i. 


CHRISIIAN    RULIGIOX.  33 

when  lie  enters  upon  his  threshold,  it  gives  an 
alurni  to  his  house,  and  puts  them  to  flight,  or 
upon  their  defence;  and  the  wife  reckons  the  joy 
of  her  day  is  done  when  he  returns ;  and  the  chil- 
dren enquire  into  tlieir  father's  age,  and  think  his 
life  tedious;  and  the  servants  curse  privately,  and 
do  their  service  as  slaves  do,  only  when  they  dare 
not  do  otherwise ;  and  they  serve  him  as  they 
serve  a  lion — they  obey  his  strength,  and  fear  his 
cruelty,  and  despise  his  manners,  and  hate  his  per- 
son. No  man  enjoys  content  in  his  family  but  he 
that  is  peaceful  and  charitable,  just  and  loving, 
forbearing  and  forgiving,  careful  and  provident. 
He  that  is  not  so,  his  house  may  be  his  castle,  but 
it  is  manned  by  enemies  :  his  house  is  built,  not 
upon  the  sand,  but  upon  the  waves,  and  upon  a 
tempest:  the  foundation  is  uncertain,  but  his  ruin 
is  not  so. 

8.  And  if  we  extend  the  relations  of  the  man 
beyond  his  own  walls,  he  that  does  his  duty  to  his 
neighbour,  that  is,  all  offices  of  kindness,  gentle- 
ness, and  humanity,  nothing  of  injury  and  affront. 
is  certain  never  to  meet  with  a  wrong  so  great  as  is 
the  inconvenience  of  a  lawsuit,  or  the  contention 
of  neighbours,  and  all  the  consequent  dangers  and 
inconvenience.  Kindness  will  create  and  invite 
kindness;  and  injury  provokes  an  injury.  And 
since  the  love  of  neighl)ours  is  one  of  those  beau- 
lies  which  Solomon  did  admire,  and  that  tiiis  beau- 
ty is  within  the  combination  of  precious  things 
which  adorn  and  reward  a  peaceable,  charitable 
dispo.silion ;  he  that  is  in  love  with  spiritual  excel- 
lencies, with  intellectual  rectitudes,  with  peace  and 
with  blessings  of  society,  knows  they  grow  amongst 
the  r(»se-bu&hes  of  virtue  and  holy  obedience  to  the 

VOL.     11.  25 


31  KXCI.LI.F..NCV    OF    tHi: 

laws  of  Jesus.  And  '  for  a  good  man  some  vvil! 
even  dare  to  die;'  and  a  sweet  and  charitable  dis- 
])osition  is  received  with  fondness,  and  all  the  en- 
dearments of  the  neighbourhood.  He  that  ob- 
serves how  many  families  are  ruined  by  conten- 
tion, and  how  many  spirits  are  broken  by  the  care, 
and  contumely,  and  fear,  and  spite,  whicli  are 
entertained  as  advocates  to  promote  a  suit  of  law, 
will  soon  confess  that  a  great  loss  and  peaceal>le 
(juitting  of  a  considerable  interest  is  a  i)iHxliiise 
and  a  gain,  in  respect  of  a  long  suit  and  a  vexatious 
<|uarrel.'  And  still  if  the  proportion  rises  higlier, 
the  reason  swells,  and  grows  more  necessary  and 
determinate  :  for  if  we  would  live  according  to 
the  discipline  of  Christian  religion,  one  of  the 
great  plagues  which  vex  the  world  would  be  no 
more.  Tiiat  there  should  be  no  wars,  was  one  of 
the  designs  of  Christianity  :  and  the  living  accord- 
ing to  that  institution  which  is  able  to  prevent  all 
wars,  and  to  establish  an  universal  and  eternal 
peace,  when  it  is  obeyed,  is  the  using  an  infallible 
instrument  towards  that  part  of  our  political  hap- 
])iness  which  consists  in  peace.  This  world  would 
be  an  image  of  heaven,  if  all  men  were  charitable, 
peaceable,  just,  and  loving.  To  this  excellency  all 
those  precepts  of  Christ  which  consist  in  forbear- 
ance and  forgiveness  do  co-operate. 

9.  But  the  next  instance  of  the  reward  of  holy 
obedience  and  conformity  to  Christ's  laws  is  itself 
a  duty,  and  needs  no  more  but  a  mere  repetition  of 
it.     We  must  l)e  content  in  every  state  ;^  and  l)e- 

'  James,  iii.  IG. 

'^  AvTcioKtin  rH  €is  (piXoffofla  aurocicaKToc.—Voli.  Dixit 
M.  Cato  apud  Aul.  Gel.  lib.  xiii.  c.  22.  "  True  content  is  ■ 
self-taught  pliilosophy." 


CHRISTIAN    UEI.IUION.  35 

cause  Christianity  teaches  us  this  lei«son,  it  teaches 
us  to  be  hnppy  '■  for  notliino^  from  without  can  make 
us  miserable,  unless  we  join  our  consents  lo  it,  and 
apprehend  it  such,  and  entertain  it  in  our  sad  and 
mehmcholic  retirements.  A  prison  is  but  a  retire- 
ment, and  opportunity  of  serious  thoufjhts,  to  a 
person  wliose  spirit  is  confined,  and  apt  to  sit  still, 
and  desires  no  enhuo;ement  beyond  tlie  cancels  of 
the  body,  till  the  state  of  separation  calls  it  forth 
into  a  fair  liberty  ;  but  every  retirement  is  a  pri- 
son to  a  loose  and  wandering  fancy,  for  whose 
wildness  no  precepts  are  restraint,  no  band  of  duty 
is  confinement ;  who,  when  he  hath  broken  the 
first  hedy^e  of  duty,  can  never  after  endure  any  en- 
closure so  much  as  in  a  symbol.  But  this  precept  is 
so  necessary,  that  it  is  not  more  a  duty  than  a  rule 
of  prudence,  and  in  many  accidents  of  our  lives  it 
is  the  only  cure  of  sadness.  For  it  is  certain  that 
no  providence  less  than  divine  can  prevent  evil  and 
cross  accidents  :  but  that  is  an  excellent  remedy  to 
the  evil,  that  receives  the  accident  within  its  power, 
and  takes  out  the  sting,  paring  the  nails,  and 
drawing  the  teeth  of  the  wild  beast,  that  it  may  be 
tame,  or  harmless,  and  medicinal.  For  all  content 
consists  in  the  proportion  of  the  object  to  the  ap- 
petite :  and  because  external  accidents  are  not  in 
our  power,  and  it  were  nothing  excellent  that 
thini^s  happened  to  us  according  to  our  first  desires, 
God  hath  by  his  grace  put  it  into  our  power  to 
make  the  happiness,  by  making  our  desires  descend 
to  the  event,  and  comply  with  the  chance,  and 
combine  with  all  the  issues  of  divine  providence 
And  then  we  are  noble  persons,  when  we  borrow 
not  our  content  from  things  below  us,  but  make 
our  satisfactions  from  within.     And  it  may  be  con« 


S6  EXCELLENCY    OF    THE 

sideretl,  that  every  little  care  may  disquiet  us,  and 
may  increase  itself  by  reflection  upon  its  own  acts, 
and  every  discontent  may  discompose  our  spirits, 
and  put  an  edge,  and  make  afflictions  poignant, 
but  cannot  take  off  one  from  us,  but  makes  every 
one  to  be  two.  But  content  removes  not  the  acci- 
dent, but  complies  with  it,  takes  away  the  sharp- 
ness and  displeasure  of  it,  and,  by  stooping 
down  makes  the  lowest  equal,  proportionable,  and 
commensurate.  Impatience  makes  an  ague  to  be 
a  fever,  and  every  fever  to  be  a  calenture,  and  that 
calenture  may  expire  in  madness;  but  a  quiet 
spirit  is  a  great  disposition  to  heahh,  and  for  the 
present  does  alleviate  tlie  sickness.  And  this  also 
is  notorious  in  the  instance  of  covetousness.  '  The 
love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,  which  while 
some  have  coveted  after,  they  have  pierced  them- 
selves with  many  sorrows.' '  Vice  makes  poor,  and 
does  ill  endure  it. 

10.  For  he  that  in  the  school  of  Christ  hath 
learned  to  determine  his  desires  when  his  needs  are 
served,  and  to  judge  of  his  needs  by  the  propor- 
tions of  nature,  hath  nothing  wanting  towards 
riches.  Virtue  makes  poverty  become  rich,  and  no 
riches  can  satisfy  a  covetous  mind,  or  rescue  him 
from  llie  affliction  of  the  worst  kind  of  poverty. 
He  only  wants  that  is  not  satisfied.  And  there  is 
a  great  infelicity  in  a  family  where  poverty  dwells 
with  discontent:  there  the  husband  and  wife  quar- 
rel for  want  of  a  full  table  and  a  rich  wardrobe  ; 
and  their  love,  that  was  built  upon  false  arches, 
sinks  when  such  temporary  supporters  are  removed: 
lliey  are  like  two  millstones,  which  set  the  mill  on 

'   I  Tim.  vi.  10 


CHRISTIAN    RELIGION.  3? 

fire  when  they  want  corn  :  and  then  their  combi- 
nations and  society  were  unions  of  lust,  or  not 
supported  with  religious  love.  But  we  may  easily 
suppose  St.  Joseph  and  the  holy  virgiii-niotlier  in 
Efj^ypt,  poor  as  hunger,  forsaken  as  banishment, 
disconsolate  as  strangers;  and  yet  their  present  lot 
gave  them  no  affliction,  because  the  angel  fed  them 
witli  a  necessary  hospitality,  and  their  desires  were 
no  larger  tiian  their  tables,  and  their  eyes  looked 
only  upwards,  and  they  were  careless  of  the  future 
and  careful  of  their  duty,  and  so  made  tlieir  life 
pleasant  by  the  measures  and  discourses  of  divine 
philosophy.  When  Elisha  stretched  upon  th 
body  of  tlie  cliiid,  and  laid  hands  to  hands,  ami 
applied  mouth  to  mouth,  and  so  shrunk  himself 
into  the  posture  of  commensuration  with  the  child, 
he  brought  life  into  tlie  dead  trunk  ;  and  so  may 
we,  by  applying  our  spirits  to  the  proportions  of  a 
narrow  fortune,  bring  life  and  vivacity  into  our 
dead  and  lost  condition,  and  make  it  live  till  it 
grows  bigger,  or  else  returns  to  health  and  salutary 
uses. 

1  I.  And  besides  this  }>hilosophical  extraction  of 
gold  from  stones,  and  riches  from  the  dungeon  of 
poverty,  a  holy  life  does  most  probably  procure 
such  a  proportion  of  riches  which  can  be  useful  to 
us,  or  consistent  with  our  felicity.  For  besides 
tiiat  the  holy  Jesus  hath  promised  all  things  which 
our  heavenly  Father  knows  we  need,  (provided  we 
do  our  duty,)  and  tiiat  we  find  great  securities  and 
rest  from  care  when  we  have  once  cast  our  cares 
upon  God,  and  placetl  our  hopes  in  his  bosom  ; 
besides  all  this,  the  temperance,  si)l)riety,  and  pru- 
dence of  a  Christian  is  a  great  income,  and  by  not 
despising  if.  -a  small  revenue  combines  its  uarts  till 


38  EXCEILENCV    OF    THE 

it  grows  to  a  heap  big-  enough  for  the  emissions  oT 
charity,  and  all  the  offices  of  justice,  and  the  sup- 
plies of  all  necessities  ;  whilst  vice  is  unwary,  pro- 
digal, and  indiscreet,  throwing  away  great  revenues 
as  tributes  to  intemperance  and  vanity,  and  suf- 
fering dissolution  and  forfeiture  of  estates,  as  a 
punishment  and  curse.  Some  sins  are  direct  im- 
providence and  ill  husbandry.  I  reckon  in  this 
number  intemperance,  lust,  litigiousness,  ambition, 
bribery,  prodigality,  gaming,  pride,  sacrilege ; 
which  is  the  greatest  spender  of  them  all,  and 
makes  a  fair  estate  evaporate  like  camphor,  turning- 
it  into  nothing-,  no  man  knows  which  way.  But 
what  the  Roman  gave  as  an  estimate  of  a  rich  man, 
saying,  "  He  that  can  maintain  an  army  is  rich," 
was  but  a  short  account ;  for  he  that  can  maintain 
an  army  may  be  beggared  by  one  vice,  and  it  is  a 
vast  revenue  that  will  pay  the  debt-books  of  intem- 
perance or  lust. 

12.  To  these,  if  we  add  that  virtue  is  honourable, 
and  a  great  advantage  to  a  fair  reputation;  that  it 
is  praised  by  them  that  love  it  not ; '  that  it  is  ho- 
noured by  the  followers  and  family  of  vice;  that  it 
forces  glory  out  of  shame,  honour  from  contempt ; 
that  it  reconciles  men  to  the  fountain  of  honour — 
the  almighty  God,  who  will  honour  them  that  ho- 
nour him  :  there  are  but  a  few  more  excellencies  in 
the  world  to  make  up  the  rosary  of  temporal  feli- 
city. And  it  is  so  certain  that  religion  serves  even 
our  tem])oral  ends,  that  no  great  end  of  state  can 
well  be  served  without  it;*  not  ambition,  not  de- 


>  Virtus  laudatur  et  alget.    Juven — "  Virtue  iy  praised 

and  mourns." 

■*  PrsEcipuam  imperatoriaB  majest.itis  curam  esse  prospicimua« 


clnu^•Il\^   iilligkjn.  39 

aires  of  wuullli,  nut  any  great  design,  hut  religion 
must  be  made  its  usher  or  support.  If  a  new  oj)i- 
nion  he  commenced,  and  the  aullior  would  make  a 
sect,  antl  draw  disciples  after  iiim,  at  least  he  must 
be  thought  to  be  religious;  which  is  a  demonstra- 
tiot)  how  great  an  instrument  of  reputation  piely 
and  religion  is.  And  if  the  pretence  will  do  us 
good  offices  amongst  men,  the  reality  will  do  the 
same,  besides  the  advantages  which  we  shall  receive 
from  the  divine  benediction.  'J'lie  power  of  godli- 
ness will  certainly  do  more  than  the  form  alon(\ 
And  it  is  most  notorious  in  the  affairs  of  the  clergy, 
w  hose  lot  it  hath  been  to  fall  from  great  riches  to 
poverty,  when  their  wealth  made  them  less  curious 
of  iheir  duty  :  hut  when  humility  and  chastity  and 
exemplary  sanctity  have  been  the  enamel  of  their 
holy  order,  the  people,  like  the  Galatians,  would 
pull  out  their  own  eyes  to  do  them  benefit.  And 
indeed  God  hath  singularly  blessed  such  in- 
struments to  the  being  the  only  remedies  to 
repair  the  breaches  made  by  sacrilege  and  irre- 
ligion.  But  certain  it  is,  no  man  was  ever  ho- 
noured for  that  which  was  esteemed  vicious.'  Vice 
hath  got  money  and  a  curse  many  times  ;  and 
vice  hath  adhered  to  the  instruments  and  purchases 
of  honour:  but  among  all  nations  wiiatsoever, 
those  called  honourable  put  on  the  face  and  pre- 

roligionis  indaginem ;  cujus  si  cultum  retinere  potuerimus,  iter 
prospc-ritalis  liumnnis  apcritur  inceptis.  Theoil.  et  \'alent.  in 
Cod.  Theod. — "  We  consider  that  the  promotion  of  relii^ion 
should  be  the  principal  cave  of  imperial  authority :  for  if  we 
ran  secure-  this,  the  wa/  is  opened  for  success  in  all  things 
beside." 

'   Dcdit   enini    providcnti.i   hominibus    munus,    ui    honesta 

magis  juvarent.     Quint. lib.  i.  c.  12 "  The  providence  of  God 

ordained  that  virtue  should  best  avail  us." 


40  LXi-EI.LtNCV    OF    THE 

tence  of  virtue.  But  I  choose  to  instance  in  the 
proper  cognizance  of  a  Christian,  humility,  which 
seems  contradictory  to  the  purposes  and  reception 
of  honour ;  and  yet  in  the  world  nothing  is  a  more 
certain  means  to  purchase  it.  Do  not  all  the  world 
hate  a  proud  man  ?  And  therefore  what  is  contrary 
to  humility  is  also  contradictory  to  honour  and  re- 
putation. And  when  the  apostle  had  given  com- 
mand, that  in  giving  honour  we  sliould  one  go  he- 
fore  another,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  praises,  and 
panegyrics,  and  triumphs.  And  as  humility  is  se- 
cure against  affronts  and  tempests  of  despite,  be- 
cause it  is  below  them;  so  when  by  employment, 
or  any  other  issue  of  divine  Providence,  it  is  drawn 
from  its  sheath  and  secrecy,  it  shines  clear  and 
bright  as  tlie  purest  and  most  polished  metals.  Hu- 
mility is  like  a  tree,  whose  root,  when  it  sets  deep- 
est in  the  earth,  rises  higher,  and  spreads  fairer, 
and  stands  surer,  and  lasts  longer:  every  step  of  its 
descent  is  like  a  rib  of  iron,  combining  its  parts  in 
unions  indissoluble,  and  placing  it  in  the  chambers 
of  security.  No  wise  man  ever  lost  any  thing  by 
cession,  but  he  receives  the  hostility  of  violent  per- 
sons into  his  embraces,  like  a  stone  into  a  lap  of  wool ; 
it  rests  and  sits  down  soft  and  innocently;  but  a 
stone  falling  upon  a  stone  makes  a  collision,  and 
extracts  fire,  and  finds  no  rest.  And  just  so  are  two 
])roud  pereons,  despised  by  each  other,  contemned 
by  all,  living  in  perpetual  dissonances,  always 
fighting  against  affronts,  jealous  of  every  person, 
disturbed  by  every  accident,  a  perpetual  storm 
within,  and  daily  hissings  from  without. 

13.  Fourthly,  Holiness  and  obedience  is  an  ex- 
cellent preservative  of  life,  and  makes  it  long  and 
healthful.     In  order  to  which  discourse,  because  it 


CHI(I<T!\N    RKI.KiJON.  41 

is  new,  ineterial,  and  argumentative,  apt  to  j)er- 
suade  mei^.  who  preler  liCe  lief'on^  all  their  other  in- 
terests, I  consider  many  ihini's.  First,  in  the  Old 
'I'estament,  II  Ion}?  and  prosperous  life  were  tlie<(reat 
promises  of  the  covenant ;  their  hopes  were  huilt 
uj)on  it,  and  that  was  made  the  support  of  all  tl;eir 
duty.  *  If"  thou  wilt  diligently  hearken  unto  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  I  will  put  none  o(  the 
diseases  upon  thee  which  I  brought  upon  the 
Rgyptians:  for  I  am  the  Lord  that  healeth  thee.'' 
And  more  particularly  yet,  that  we  may  not  think 
piety  to  he  security  only  against  the  plagues  of 
Egypt,  God  makes  his  promise  more  indefinite  antl 
uncontined  :  '  Ye  shall  serve  the  Lord  your  God, 
and  I  will  take  sickness  away  from  the  midst  of 
thee,  and  will  fulfil  the  number  of  thy  days:'*  that 
is,  the  period  of  nature  shall  be  the  period  of  thy 
person  ;  thou  slialt  live  long,  and  die  in  a  seasonable 
ripe  age.  .And  tiiis  promise  was  so  verified  by  a 
long  exj)erience,  tiiat  by  David's  time  it  grew  up  to 
a  rule :  'What  man  is  he  that  desireth  life,  and 
loveth  many  days,  that  he  may  see  good  ?  Keep 
thy  tongue  from  evil,  and  thy  lips  that  tliey  speak 
no  guile'^  And  the  same  argument  was  prtssed 
by  Solomon,  who  was  an  excellent  philosopher, 
and  well  skilled  in  the  natural  and  accidental 
means  of  preservation  of  our  lives:  'Fear  the 
Lord,  and  depart  from  evil;  and  it  shall  be  health 
to  tliy  navel,  and  marrow  to  thy  bones.  Length  of 
days  is  in  the  right  hand  of  wisdom  ;'  for  '  she  is  a 
tree  of  lile  to  them  that  lay  hold  uj)on  her.' ^  J\Jean- 
in^,  that  the  tree  of  life  and  immortality  uhich  (i<  d 


'  Exod.  XV.  26.  '  Exod.  xxiii.  2t>,  2(i. 

'  Psaliii  xxxiv.  12,  13.  *  Prov.  iii.  7,  8,  16,  18. 


42  EXCn.LENCY    OF    THE 

had  planted  in  paradise,  and  wliicli,  if  man  had 
stood,  he  should  have  tasted,  and  have  lived  for 
ever,  the  fruit  of  that  tree  is  offered  upon  the  same 
conditions;  ifwe  will  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  our  obedience,  like  the  tree  of  life,  shall  con- 
sig'n  us  to  immortality  hereafter,  by  a  long  and 
a  healthful  life  here.  And  therefore,  although  in 
Moses's  time  the  days  of  man  had  been  shortened, 
till  they  came  to  '  threescore  years  and  ten,  or 
fourscore  years,  and  then  their  strenjjjth  is  but  la- 
bour and  sorrow;"  (for  Moses  was  the  author  of 
that  Psalm;)  yet  to  show  the  great  privilege  of 
those  persons  whose  piety  was  great,  Moses  himself 
attained  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  years,  which 
was  almost  double  to  the  ordinary  and  determined 
period.  But  Enoch  and  Elias  never  died,  and  be- 
came great  examples  to  us,  that  a  spotless  and  holy 
life  might  possibly  have  been  immortal, 

14.  T  sliall  add  no  more  ex.amples,  but  one 
great  conjugation  of  precedent  observed  by  the 
Jewish  writers,  who  tell  us,  that  in  the  second  tem- 
ple there  were  three  hundred  high-priests,  (I  sup- 
pose they  set  down  a  certain  number  for  an  uncer- 
tain, and  by  three  hundred  they  mean  very  many,) 
and  yet  that  temple  lasted  but  four  hundred  and 
twenty  years  :  the  reason  of  this  so  rapid  and  vio- 
lent abscision  of  their  priests  being  their  great 
and  scandalous  impieties.  And  yet  in  the  first 
temple,  whose  abode  was  within  ten  years  as  long 
as  the  second,  there  was  a  succession  of  but  eighteen 
high-priests  :  for  they  being  generally  very  pious, 
and  the  preservers  of  their  rites  and  religion  against 
the  schism  of  Jeroboam,  and  the  defection  of  Israel, 

'  Psalm  xc,  10. 


<:IIRISII\N     IMI.IGION.  43 

and  tlie  idolatry  and  ineli-iion  of  many  of  tin; 
kings  of  Juduli,  (iod  took  deli<>lit  to  reward  it  with 
!i  lonf^  and  lionouial)ie  old  aye.  And  Baluuni 
knew  well  enouf,di  what  he  said,  when  in  iiisecstasy 
and  pro|)lielic  rapture  he  made  Ins  prayer  to  God, 
'  Let  my  soul  die  the  death  of  the  righteous.''  It 
was  not  a  prayer  that  his  soul  might  be  saved,  or 
that  he  might  repent  at  last ;  for  repentance  and  im- 
mortality were  revelations  of  a  later  d:itc  :  buthe,  in 
his  prophetic  ecs^tacy,  seeing  what  God  had  pro- 
posed to  the  Moabites,  and  what  blessings  he  had 
reserved  for  Israel,  prays  that  he  might  not  die,  as 
the  Moabites  were  like  to  die,  with  an  untimely 
death,  by  the  sword  of  their  enemies,  dispossessed 
of  their  country,  spoiled  of  their  goods,  in  the  pe- 
riod and  last  hour  of  their  nation  : — But  let  my  soul 
die  the  dt-alh  of  the  just,  the  death  designed  for 
the  faithful  Israelites;  such  a  death  which  God 
promised  to  Abraham,  that  he  should  return  to 
his  fathers  in  peaee,  and  in  a  good  old  age.  For 
the  death  of  the  righteous  is  like  the  descending 
of  ripe  and  wholesome  fruits  from  a  pleasant  an/l 
florid  tree;  our  senses  entire,  our  limbs  unbroken, 
without  horrid  tortures,  alter  provision  made  for 
our  children,  with  a  blessing  entailed  upon  poste- 
rity, in  the  j)resence  of  our  friends,  our  dearest  re- 
lative closing  up  our  eyes,  and  binding  our  feet, 
leaving  a  good  name  behind  us.  O  let  my  soul  die 
such  a  death  !  for  this,  in  whole  or  in  part,  accord- 
ing as  God  sees  it  good,  is  the  manner  that  the 
righteous  die.  And  this  was  Balaam's  prayer: 
and  this  was  the  Ftate  and  condition  in  the  Old 
Testatament. 

'  Numb.  xxiiL  10. 


44  EXCFl.l.l.N<'V    HF    THft 

15,  In  the  gospel  the  case  is  nothing'  altered;  for 
besides  that  those  austerities,  rigours,  and  mortifi- 
cations which   are  in   the  gospel  advised  or  com- 
manded  respectively,  are  more  salutary  or  of  less 
corporeal  inconvenience  than  a  vicious  life  of  in- 
temperance, or  lust,  or  carefulness,  or  tyrant  co- 
vetousnes;  there  is  no  accident  or  change  to  the 
sufferance  of  which   the  gospel   hath  engaged  us, 
but  in  the  very  thing  our  life  is  carefully  provided 
for,  either  in  kind,  or  by  a  gainful  exchange.     '  He 
that  loseth  his  life   for  my  sake,  shall  find  it ;  and 
he  that  will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it."     And  al- 
though Gcd,  who  promised  long  life  to  them  that 
obey,  did   not  promise  that  himself  would  never 
call  for  our  life,  borrowing  it  of  us,  and  repaying  it 
in  a  glorious  and  advantageous  exchange;  yet  this 
very  promise  of  giving  us  a  better  life  in  exchange 
for  this,  when  we  exposed  it  in  martyrdom,  dues 
confirm  our  title  to  this,  this  being  the  instrument 
of  permutation  with   the  other:  for  God  obliging 
himself  to  give   us  another  in  exchange  for  lliis, 
when  in  cases  extraordinary  he  calls  for  this,  says 
plainly,  that  this  is  our  present  right  by  grace,  and 
the  title  of  the  Divine  promises.     But  the  promises 
are  clear;  for  St.  Paul  calls  children  to  the  observa- 
tion of  the  fifth  commandment,  by  the  same  argu- 
ment which  God  used  in  the  first  promulgation  of 
it :  *  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  (which   is 
the  first  commandment  with  promise,)  that  it  may 
be  well  with  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  live  long 
upon    the  earth.'*     For   although   the   gospel    be 
built  upon  better  promises  than  the  law,  yet  it  liulh 
l!ie  same  too,  not  as  its  foundation,  but  as  apj)en« 

'  Matt.  X.  39.  «  Ephes.  vi.  2,  3. 


ctiHisiiw   unii.iiiv.  49 

dages  and  adjuncts  of  grace,  ami  supplies  of  need. 
'Godliness  liatli  tlie  promise  of  this  life,  as  well  as 
of  the  lite  that  is  to  come.''  That  is  plain.  And 
although  Christ  revealed  his  Father's  mercies  to  us 
in  new  expresses  and  great  abundance  ;  yet  he  took 
nolhing  from  the  world  which  ever  did  in  any  sen^e 
invite  piety,  or  endear  obedience,  or  co-operate  to- 
wards felicity.  And  therefore  the  promises  whicli 
were  made  of  old,  are  also  presupposed  in  the  new, 
and  mentioned  by  intimation  and  implication 
within  tlie  greater.  When  our  blessed  Saviour,  in 
seven  of  the  eight  beatitudes,  had  instanced  in  new 
promises  and  rewards,  as  '  heaven,  seeing  of  God, 
life  eternal  ;"  in  one  of  them,  to  which  heaven  is  as 
certainly  consequent  as  to  any  of  the  rest,  he  dill 
choose  to  instance  in  a  temporal  blessing,  and  in 
the  very  words  of  the  Old  Testament ;  to  show 
that  that  ])art  of  the  old  covenant  w  hich  concerns 
morality,  and  the  rewards  of  obedience,  remains 
firm  and  included  within  the  conditions  of  the 
gospel,^ 

Hi.  To  this  purpose  is  that  saying  of  our  blessed 
Saviour, '  Man  liveth  not  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every 
word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God:'* 
meaning, that  besides  natural  meansordained  for  the 
preservation  of  our  lives,  there  are  means  supernatu- 
ral and  divine.  God's  blessings  does  as  much  as 
bread.  Xay,  it  is  every  word  proceeding  out  of  the 
mouth  of  (>od  ;  that  is,  every  precept  and  connnand- 
ment  of  God  is  so  for  our  good,  that  it  is  intended  as 
food  and  pliys-ic  to  us,  a  means  to  make  us  live 
long.     And  therefore  (iod  hath  done  in  tliis  as  in 


'  1  Tim.  iv.  «.  '  Matt.  v.  3,  5. 

'  PBalni  xxxvii.  li.  *  Man.  iv.  4;  Dent.  \iii.  i 


16  EXCl'LLUNCY    OF    THE 

other  graces  and  is<;nes  evangelical,  wliicli  lie 
proposed  to  continue  in  his  church  for  ever.  He 
first  gave  it  in  miraculous  and  extraordinary  man- 
ner, and  then  gave  it  by  way  of  perpetual  ministry. 
The  Holy  Ghost  appeared  at  first  like  a  prodigy, 
and  with  miracle ;  he  descended  in  visible  repre- 
sentments,  expressing  himself  in  revelations  and 
powers  extraordinary  :  but  it  being  a  promise  in- 
tended to  descend  upon  all  ages  of  the  church, 
there  was  appointed  a  perpetual  ministry  for  its 
conveyance;  and  still,  though  without  a  sign  or 
miraculous  representment,  it  is  ministered  in  con- 
firmation by  imposition  of  the  bishop's  hands. 
And  thus  also  health  and  long  life,  which  by  way 
of  ordinary  benediction  is  consequent  to  piety, 
faith,  and  obedience  evangelical,  was  at  first  given 
in  a  miraculous  manner ;  that  so  the  ordinary 
efTects,  being  at  first  confirmed  by  miraculous  and 
extraordinary  instances  and  manners  of  operation, 
might  for  ever  after  be  confidently  expected  without 
any  dubitation,  since  it  was  in  the  same  manner 
consigned  by  which  all  the  whole  religion  was;  by 
a  voice  from  iieaven,  and  a  verification  of  miracles, 
and  extraordinary  supernatural  eflects.  That  the 
gift  of  healing,  and  preservation  and  restitution  of 
life  was  at  first  miraculous,  needs  no  particular 
])robation.  All  the  story  of  the  gospel  is  one 
entire  argument  to  prove  it:  and  amongst  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  St.  Paul  reckons  gifts  of  healing, 
and  government,  and  helps,  or  exterior  assistances 
and  advantages,  to  represent  that  it  was  intended 
the  life  of  Christian  people  should  be  happy  and 
healthful  for  ever.  Now  that  this  grace  also  de- 
scended afterwards  in  an  ordinary  ministry  U 
recorded  by  St.  James.     '  Is  any  man  sick  amongst 


CHRISIIAN    RELIGION.  47 

you  ?  let  him  call  for  llie  elders  of  tlie  church,  and 
let  them  pray  over  him,  anointini^  him  with  oil,  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord:''  that  was  then  the  cere- 
mony, and  the  hlessing;  and  effect  is  still  :  for  '  the 
prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,  and  the  liord 
shall  raise  him  up."  For  it  is  observable,  that  the 
blessing-  of  healing  and  recovery  is  not  appendant 
to  the  anealing,  but  to  the  prayer  of  the  church  ; 
to  manifest  tliat  the  ceremony  went  with  the  first 
miraculous  and  extraordinary  manner,  yet  that 
there  was  an  ordinary  ministry  appointed  for  the 
daily  conveyance  of  the  bltssin;^  :  the  faithful 
prayers  and  offices  of  holy  priests  shall  obtain  life 
and  liealth  to  such  persons  who  are  receptive  of  it, 
and  in  spiritual  and  apt  dispositions.  And  when 
we  see,  by  a  continual  flux  of  extraordinary  bene- 
diction, that  even  some  Christian  princes  are  in- 
struments of  the  Spirit,  not  only  in  the  govern- 
ment, but  in  the  gifts  of  healing-  too,  as  a  reward 
for  their  |)romoting  the  just  interests  of  Chris- 
tianity, we  may  acknowledge  ourselves  convinced 
that  a  holy  life  in  tiie  faitii  and  obedience  of  Jesus 
Christ,  may  be  of  great  advantage  for  our  health 
and  life,  by  tiiat  instance  to  entertain  our  present 
desires,  and  to  establish  our  hopes  of  life  eternal. 

17.  Fori  consider  that  the  fear  of  God  is  there- 
fore the  best  antidote  in  the  world  against  sickness 
and  death  :  1.  Because  it  is  the  direct  enemy  to  sin, 
which  brought  in  sickness  and  death ;  and  besides 
this,  that  God  by  spiritual  means  should  produce 
alterations  natural,  is  not  hard  to  be  understood  by 
a  Christian  j)hilosopher,  take  him  in  either  of  the 
two  capacities.     2.  For  there  is  a  rule  of  propor- 

'  James,  v.  14.  '  Ibid  verse  15. 


•«4;S  rXCFLLENCY    OF    THE 

tion  and  analog^y  of  effects,  that  if  sin  destroys  not 
only  the  soul  but  the  body  also,  then  may  piety 
preserve  both,  and  that'  much  rather.  For  if  sin, 
that  is,  the  effects  and  conserjuents  of  sin,  'hath 
abounded,  then  shall  grace  superabound  ;'^  that  is, 
Christ  hath  done  us  more  benefit  than  the  fall  of 
Adam  hath  done  us  injury ;  and  therefore  the 
effects  of  sin  are  not  greater  upon  the  body,  than 
either  are  to  be  restored  or  prevented  by  a  piou-s 
life.  3.  There  is  so  near  a  conjunction  between 
soul  and  body,  that  it  is  no  wonder  if  God,  mean- 
ing to  glorify  both  by  the  means  of  a  spiritual  life, 
suffers  spirit  and  matter  to  communicate  in  effects 
and  mutual  impresses,  Tiius  the  waters  of  bap- 
tism purify  the  soul  ;  and  the  holy  eucharist,  not 
the  symbolical,  but  the  mysterious  .ind  spiritual 
part  of  it,  makes  the  body  also  partaker  of  the 
death  of  Christ  and  a  holy  union.  The  flames  of 
hell,  whatsoever  they  are,  torment  accursed  souls ; 
and  the  stings  of  conscience  vex  and  disquiet  the 
body.  4.  And  if  we  consider  that  in  the  glories  of 
liu«-^n  wh^n  've  shall  live  a  life  purely  spiritual, 
our  bodies  also  are  so  clarified  and  made  spiritual, 
that  they  are  also  become  immortal  ;  that  state  of 
glory  being  nothing  else  but  a  perfection  of  tjie 
state  of  grace,  it  is  not  unimaginable  but  that  |ie 
soul  may  have  some  proportion  of  the  same  opera- 
tion upon  the  body  as  to  conduce  to  its  prolonga- 
tion, as  to  an  antepast  of  immortality.  5.  For 
since  the  body  hath  all  its  life  from  its  c  .junction 
with  the  soul,  why  not  also  the  perfecl.on  of  lifo 
according  to  its  present  capacity,  that  is,  health 
and  duration   from   the  perfection  of  the  soul,  I 

'    Horn.  V.  20. 


(  Mifis  1 1  \  N    If  11  r«;H)>.  <■> 

mean  from  llie  oinunients  of  grace  ?  Aii«i  as  llie 
hlessedness  of  the  soul  (saith  the  j)liilosoj)lier)  con- 
sists in  llie  speculation  of  honest  and  just  things ; 
so  the  perfection  of  the  body  and  of  the  whole  man 
consists  in  the  practice,  tlie  exercise,  and  operations 
of  virtue. 

18.  But  lliis  prohlem  in  Christian  philosophy  is 
yet  more  intellis^ible,  and  will  be  reduced  to  cer- 
tain experience,  if  we  consider  good  life  in  union 
and  concretion  with  particular,  material,  and  cir- 
cumstantiate actions  of  piety  :  for  these  have 
^reat  powers  and  influences  even  in  nature  to  re- 
store health  and  preserve  our  lives.  Witness  iho 
sweet  sleeps  of  temperate  persons,  and  their  con- 
stant appetite  ;  which  Timotheus,  the  son  of  Conon, 
observed,  when  he  dieted  in  Plato's  academy  with 
severe  and  moderated  diet  :  "  They  that  snp  with 
Plato  are  well  the  next  day."  Witness  the  sym- 
metry of  p;issJons  in  meek  men,  their  freedom  from 
liie  violence  of  enratjed  and  passionate  indisposi- 
tions ;  ll)e  admirable  harmony  and  sweetness  of 
content  which  dwells  in  the  retirements  of  a 
holy  conscience:  to  which  if  we  add  those  joys 
which  they  only  understand  truly  who  feel  them 
inwardly,  the  joys  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  content 
and  joys  which  are  attendinpf  upon  the  lives  of 
l)oly  persons  are  most  likely  to  make  them  lonjj 
and  lieallhful.  '  For  now  we  live,'  saith  St.  Paul, 
'  if  ye  stand  fast  in  the  Lord.' '  It  would  proloni)f 
St.  Paul's  life  to  see  his  ii^liostly  children  persevt-re 
in  holiness  :  and  if  we  understood  the  joys  of  it,  it 
wotdd  do  much  greater  advautaj^e  to  ourselves. 
IJutif  xte  consider  a  spirii,ual  life  abstractedly  and 
in  itself,  piety  produces  our  life,  not  by  u  natural 

'    I  The:,  iiu  a. 
▼Oi.       II.  2'j 


60  i;xc!; i.i.ENCY  of  the 

efficiency,  l)ut  by  divine  benediction.  God  jjives  a 
liealtliy  and  a  lonjr  life  as  a  reward  and  blessing  to 
crown  our  piety  even  before  the  sons  of  men  :  '  For 
such  as  be  l)lessed  of  him  shall  inherit  the  earth ; 
but  they  that  be  cursed  of  him  shall  be  cut  off.'  ' 
So  that  this  whole  matter  is  principally  to  be  re- 
ferred to  the  act  of  God,  either  by  ways  of  nature, 
or  by  instruments  of  special  providence,  rewarding^ 
piety  with  a  long'  life.  And  we  shall  more  fully 
apprehend  this,  if,  upon  the  grounds  of  Scripture, 
reason,  and  experience  we  weigh  the  contrary. 
Vickedness  is  the  way  to  shorten  our  days.^ 

19.  Sin  brought  death  in  first;  and  yet  man 
^ived  almost  a  thousand  years.  But  he  sinned 
more,  and  then  death  came  nearer  to  him  ;  for 
when  all  the  world  was  first  drowned  in  wicked- 
ness, and  then  in  water,  God  cut  him  shorter  by 
one  half,  and  five  hundred  years  was  his  ordinary 
period.  And  man  sinned  still,  and  had  strange 
imaginations,  and  built  towers  in  the  air;  and  then 
about  Peleg's  time  God  cut  him  shorter  by  one 
half  yet,  two  hundred  and  odd  years  was  liis  deter- 
mination. And  yet  the  generations  of  the  world 
returned  not  unanimously  to  God  ;  and  God  cut 
him  ofi' another  half  yet,  and  reduced  iiim  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  years  ;  and,  by  Moses's 
time,  one  half  of  the  final  remanent  portion  waa 
pared  away,  reducing  him  tO  threescore  years 
and  ten  :  so  that,  unless  it  be  by  special  dispensa- 
tion, men  live  not  beyond  that  term,  or  therealiout. 
But  if  God  had  gone  on  still  in  the  same  method, 
and  shortened  our  days  as  we  multiplied  our  sins, 
wc  should  have  been  but  as  an  epliemeron  ;  man 
should  have  lived  the  life  of  a  fly  or  a  gourd  ;  the 
'  Psalm  xxxvii.  22.  *  Prov,  x.  20. 


CHRHTIAN    RELIGION.  «5I 

noorning  should  have  seen  liis  birlh,  his  life  have 
been  the  term  of  a  day,  and  the  evening  must 
have  provided  him  with  a  shroud.  But  God 
seeing-  man's  tlioughts  were  only  evil  continually, 
he  was  resolved  no  longer  so  to  strive  with  him,  nor 
destroy  the  kind,  but  punish  individuals  only  and 
single  ]>ersons;  and  if  they  sinned,  or  if  they  did 
not  obey  regularly,  their  life  s!)ould  be  j)ropor 
tionable.  This  God  set  down  for  his  rule  :  '  Evil 
shall  slay  the  wicked  person :"  '  and,  '  He  that 
keepeth  tiie  commandments  keepeth  his  own  soul ; 
but  he  that  despiseth  his  own  ways  shall  die.*" 

20.  But  that  we  may  speak  morje  exactly  in  this 
problem,  we  must  ol)serve,  that  in  Scripture  three 
general  causes  of  natural  death  are  assigned — na- 
ture, providence,  and  chance.  By  these  three  I 
only  mean  the  several  manners  of  divine  influence 
and  operation.  For  God  only  predetermines;  and 
what  is  changed  in  the  following  events  by  divine 
permission,  to  this  God  and  man  in  their  several 
manners  do  co-operate.  The  saying  of  David 
concerning  Saul,  with  admirable  philosophy  de- 
scribes the  three  ways  of  ending  man's  life  :  '  David 
said  furthermore,  as  the  Lord  liveth,  the  Lord  shall 
smite  liim,  or  his  day  shall  come  to  die,  or  he  shall 
descend  into  battle  and  perish."  The  first  is 
special  providence  :  the  second  means  the  term 
of  nature:  the  third  is  that  which  in  our  want 
of  words  we  call  chance  or  accident,  but  is 
in  effect  nothing  else  but  another  manner  of  the 
divine  providence.  That  in  all  these  sin  does  in- 
terrupt and  retrench  our  lives,  is  the  undertaking 
of  tlie  following  ])t'riods  : 

'   Psalm  xxxiv.  21.  '  Prov.  xix.  IC. 

»  I  Sam.  xxvi.  10. 


'>2  EXCEl  I.F.NCY    OF    THE 

21.  First,  In  nature  sin  is  a  cause  of  dyscrasies 
and  distempers,  making  our  bodies  healthless  and 
our  days  few:  for  although  God  hath  prefixed  a 
j)eriod  to  nature  by  an  universal  and  antecedent 
determination,  and  that  naturally  every  man  that 
lives  temperately,  and  by  no  supervening  accident 
)3  interrupted,  shall  arrive  thither  ;  yet  because  the 
greatest  part  of  our  lives  is  governed  by  will  and 
understanding,  and  there  are  temptations  to  in- 
temperance, and  to  violations  of  our  health,  the 
period  of  nature  is  so  distinct  a  thing  from  the 
period  of  our  person,  that  few  men  attain  to  that 
which  God  had  fixed  by  his  first  law  and  preceding 
purpose;  but  end  their  days  with  folly,  and  in  a 
period  which  God  appointed  them  with  anger,  and 
a  determination  secondary,  consequent,  and  acci- 
dental. And  therefore,  says  David,  '  health  is 
far  from  the  ungodly,  for  they  regard  not  thy 
statutes.'  And  to  this  purpose  is  that  saying  of 
Eben-Ezra:  "  He  that  is  united  to  God,  the  foun- 
tain of  life,  his  soul  being  improved  by  grace,  com- 
municates to  the  body  an  establishment  of  its  radical 
moisture  and  natural  heat.,  to  make  it  more  health- 
ful, that  so  it  may  be  more  instrumental  to  the  spi- 
ritual operations  and  productions  of  the  soul,  and 
itself  be  preserved  in  perfect  constitution."  Now, 
how  this  blessing  is  contradicted  by  the  impious  life 
of  a  vvicked  person  is  easy  to  be  understood,  if  we 
consider,  that  from  drunken  surfeits  come  dissolu- 
tion of  members,  head-aches,  apoplexies,  dangerous 
falls,  fracture  of  bones,  drenchings  and  diUition  of 
the  brain,  inflammation  of  the  liver,  crudities  of 
the  stomach,  and  thousands  more,  which  Solnmon 
sums  up  in  general  terms:  MVho  hath  woe  i' 
Who  hath  sorrow  ?     AVho  hath  redness  of  eves  ? 


Tliey  tl)at  tarry  loi)<^  at  the  wine.'  I  shall  not 
need  to  instance  in  the  sad  and  uncleanly  con- 
sequents of  lusts;  the  wounds  and  accidental  deaths 
which  are  occasioned  by  jealousies,  by  vanity,  by 
peevishness,  vain  reputation,  and  animosities,  by 
melancholy,  and  the  despair  of  evil  consciences  : 
and  yet  these  are  abundant  arfjument,  that  when 
God  so  permits  a  man  to  run  his  course  of  nature 
that  himself  does  not  intervene  by  an  extraordinary 
influence,  or  any  special  acts  of  providence,  but 
only  jrives  his  ordinary  assistance  to  natural  causes, 
n  very  f^ieat  })art  of  men  make  their  natural  period 
shorter,  and  by  sin  make  tluir  days  miserable  and 
lew. 

22.  Secondly,  Oftentimes  providence  intervenes, 
and  makes  the  way  shorter;  God,  for  the  iniquity 
of  man,  not  sufterinj^  nature  to  take  her  course,  but 
stoppin{2^  her  in  Ur-  midst  of  her  journey.  A<2:ainst 
this  David  prayed,  *0  my  God,  cut  me  not  off  in 
the  midst  of  my  days.''  But  in  this  there  is  some 
variety ;  for  God  does  it  sometimes  in  mercy, 
sometimes  in  judgment.  '  The  righteous  die,  and 
no  man  regardeth  ;  not  considering  that  they  are 
taken  away  from  the  evil  to  come.'  ^  God  takes  the 
righteous  hastily  to  his  crown,  lest  temptation 
snatch  it  from  him  by  interrupting  his  hopes  and 
sanctity  :  and  this  was  the  case  of  the  olxl  world. 
For  from  Adam  to  tiie  Hr)od  by  the  palriarchs  were 
eleven  generations  ;  but  l)y  Cain's  line  there  were 
but  eight,  so  that  Cain's  j)osterity  were  longer- 
lived;  because  (iod,  intending  to  bring  the  flood 
upon  the  world,  took  delight  to  rescue  his  elect 
from  the  dangers  of  the  present  impurity  and  the 

'   Prov.  xxiii.  2f>,  30.  '  Psalm  cii.  24. 

^   Isrtiah,  Ivii    I. 


64  EXCF.LLENCY    OF    THE 

future  delude.  Abraluim  lived  five  years  less  than 
his  son  Isaac,  it  beins^  (say  the  doctors  of  the 
Jews)  intended  for  mercy  to  him,  that  he  mi^^ht 
not  see  the  iniquity  of  his  grand-child,  Esau.  And 
this  the  church  for  many  ages  hath  believed  in  the 
case  of  baptized  infants  dying  before  the  use  of 
reason  :  for  besides  other  causes  in  the  order  of  di- 
vine providence,  one  kind  of  mercy  is  done  to  tlieni 
too ;  for  although  their  condition  be  of  a  lower 
form,  yet  it  is  secured  by  that  timely  (shall  I  call 
it?)  or  untimely  death.  But  these  are  cases  ex- 
tra-regular; ordinarily  and  by  rule  God  hath  re- 
vealed his  purposes  of  interruption  of  the  lives  of 
sinners  to  be  in  anger  and  judgment;  for  when 
men  commit  any  signal  and  grand  impiety,  God 
suffers  not  nature  to  take  her  course,  but  strikes  a 
stroke  with  his  own  hand.  To  which  purpose  1 
think  it  a  remarkable  instance  which  is  reported  by 
Pipiphanius,'  that  for  three  thousand  tliree  hundred 
and  thirty-two  years,  even  to  the  tw  entieth  age,  there 
was  not  one  example  of  a  son  that  died  before  his 
father;  but  the  course  of  nature  was  kept,  that  he 
who  was  first  born  in  the  descending  line  did  die 
first;  (I  speak  of  natural  death;  and  therefore 
Abel  cannot  be  opposed  to  this  observation  ;)  till 
that  Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham,  taught  the  peo- 
ple to  make  images  of  clay,  and  worship  them  : 
and  concerning  him  it  was  first  remarked,  that 
'  Haran  died  before  his  father  Terah  in  the  land  of 
his  nativity:"  God  by  an  unheard-of  judgment, 
and  a  rare  accident,  punished  his  newly-invented 
crime.  And  whenever  such  intercision  of  a  life 
happens  to  a  vicious  person,  let  all  the  world  ac- 

'  Lib.  i.  tom.  i.  Panar.  sect.  6.        -   Gen.  xi.  28. 


CHIUSIIAN    IIEIJCilON.  55 

knowledge  it  lor  a  jnclj^menl:  and  «licn  any  man 
is  guilty  of  evil  habits  or  unrepented  sins,  he  maiy 
therefore  expect  it,  because  it  is  threatened  and  de- 
signed for  the  lot  and  curse  of  such  persons.  This  is 
threatened  to  covetousness,  injustice,  and  oppres- 
sion. '  As  a  partridge  sitteth  on  eggs,  ami  iiatchelh 
them  not,  so  he  that  gctteth  riches,  and  not  by 
rii^ht,  shall  leave  them  in  the  midst  of  his  days, 
and  at  his  end  shall  be  a  fool.''  The  samn  is 
threatened  to  voluptuous  persons  in  the  highest 
caresses  of  delight ;  and  Christ  told  a  parable  with 
tlie  same  design.  The  rich  man  said,  '  Soul,  take 
thy  ease  :'  l)Ut  God  answered,  '  O  fool,  this  night 
sliall  thy  soul  be  required  of  thee.'  Zimri  and 
Cozbi  were  slain  in  the  trojjhies  of  their  lust.  And 
it  was  a  sad  story  that  was  told  by  Thomas  Canti- 
pratanus  :  two  religious  persons,  tempted  by  each 
otiier  in  the  vigour  of  their  youth,  in  their  very 
first  pleasures  and  opportunities  of  sin,  were  both 
struck  dead  in  their  eml)races  and  posture  ol"  enter- 
tainment. God  smote  .leroboam  for  liis  usurpation 
and  tyranny,  and  he  died.*  Saul  died  for  dis- 
obedience against  God,  and  asking  counsel  of  n 
Pythoness.'  God  smote  Uzziah  with  a  leprosy 
for  his  profaneness  ;■*  and  distressed  Ahaz  son-Iy 
for  his  sacrilege  ;*  and  sent  a  horrid  disease  upon 
Jehoram  for  his  idolatry.**  These  instances  repre- 
sent voluptuousness  and  c<)v«'tonsness,  rapine  and 
injustice,  idolatry  and  lust,  profaneness  and  sacri- 
lege, as  remarked  by  the  signature  of  exemplary 
judgments  to  be  the  means  of  shortening  the  days 
of  man;  God  himself  proving  the  executioner  of 
his  own  fierce  wrath.     T   instance  no  more,  but  in 

'  JcT.  xvii.  11.         ^2  Chron.  xiii.  20.  '   I  C'liron.  x.  1.3. 

«  2  Cliron   xxvi.  19.        '  L'  Kings,  xvi.        «  2  Chion   xxi.  18. 


&0  EXCIil.LENCY    OI"    THE 

the  singular  case  of  Hananiali  the  false  prophet: 
'l^'hus  saith  the  Lord,  Behold  I  will  cut  thee  from 
off  ihe  face  of  the  earth  ;  this  year  thou  shall  die,  be- 
cause thou  hast  taught  rebellion  against  the  Lord."' 
That  is  the  curse  and  portion  of  a  false  prophet — a 
short  life,  and  a  sudden  death  of  God's  own  parti- 
cular and  more  immediate  infliction. 

23.  And  thus  also  the  sentence  of  the  divine 
anger  went  forth  upon  criminal  persons  in  tlie 
New  Testament.  Witness  the  disease  of  Herod, 
Judas's  hanging  himself,  the  blindness  of  Elymas, 
the  sudden  death  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  the 
buffettings  with  which  Satan  afflicted  the  bodies  of 
persons  excommunicate.  Yea,  the  blessed  sacra- 
ij^ent  of  Christ's  body  and  blood,  which  is  intended 
for  our  spiritual  life,  if  it  be  unworthily  received, 
proves  the  cause  of  a  natural  death.  'For  this 
cause  many  are  weak  and  sickly  among  you,  and 
many  are  fallen  asleep,'*  saith  St.  Paul  to  the 
Corinthian  church. 

24.  Thirdly,  But  there  is  yet  another  manner  of 
ending  man's  life,  by  way  of  chance  or  contingency  ; 
meaning  thereby  the  manner  of  God's  jjrovidence 
and  event  of  things  which  is  not  produced  by  the 
disposition  of  natural  causes,  nor  yet  by  any  parti- 
cular and  special  act  of  God  ;  but  the  event  which 
depends  upon  accidental  causes,  not  so  certain  and 
regular  as  nature,  not  so  conclusive  and  determined 
as  the  acts  of  decretory  providence,  but  comes  by 
disposition  of  causes  irregular  to  events  rare  and 
accidental.  This  David  expresses  b}'  entering  into 
battle.  And  in  this,  as  in  the  other,  we  must  sepa- 
rate cases  extraordinary  and  rare  from  the  ordinary 

'  Jer.  xxviii.  16.  «  1  Cor.  xi.  30. 


CliltlSIIAN     RLLIUIUN.  69 

and  common.  Extra-re^uhirly  and  upon  extraor- 
dinary reasons  and  permissions,  we  find  that  holy 
persons  have  miscarried  in  battle.  So  the  Israelites 
fell  before  Benjamin  ;  and  Jonathan  and  Uriah, 
and  many  of  the  Lord's  champions,  figliting  against 
the  Philislines.  But  in  these  deaths,  as  God  served 
other  ends  of  providence,  so  he  kept  to  the  good  men 
that  fell  all  the  mercies  of  the  promise,  by  giving 
them  a  greater  blessing  of  event  and  compensation. 
In  the  more  ordinary  course  of  divine  dispensation, 
they  that  prevaricate  the  laws  of  God  are  put  out 
of  protection  ;  God  withdraws  his  special  provi- 
dence, or  their  tutelar  angel,  and  leaves  them  ex- 
posed to  the  influences  of  heaven,  to  the  power 
of  a  constellation,  to  the  accidents  ol'  humanity, 
to  the  chances  of  a  battle,  which  are  so  many 
and  various,  that  it  is  ten  thousand  to  one  a 
man  in  that  case  never  escapes  :  and  in  such  va- 
riety of  contingencies  there  is  no  jjrobable  way 
to  assure  our  safety,  but  by  a  holy  life  to  en- 
dear the  providence  of  God  to  be  our  guardian. 
Jt  was  a  remarkable  saying  of  Deborah,  '  the 
stars  fought  in  their  courses,'  or  in  their  orbs, 
'  against  Sisera.' '  Sisera  fought  when  there  was  an 
evil  aspect,  or  malignant  influence  of  heaven  upon 
him.  For  even  the  smallest  thing  that  is  in  oppo- 
sition to  us  is  enough  to  turn  the  chance  of  a  bat- 
tle ;  that  alliiough  it  be  necessary  for  defence 
of  the  godly  that  a  special  providence  should  in- 
tervene, yet  to  confound  the  impious  no  special  act 
is  requisite.  If  CJod  exposes  them  to  the  ill  aspect 
of  a  planet,  or  any  other  casualty,  their  days  are  in- 
terrupted, and  they  die.     And  tliat  is  the  meaning 

1  Judg.  V.  20. 


68  EXCELLENCY    OF    THE 

of  the  prophet  Jeremiah  :  '  Be  not  ye  dismayed  at 
the  signs  of'heaven,  for  the  heathen  are  dismayed  at 
them:''  meaning,  that  God  will  overrule  all  infe- 
rior causes  for  the  safety  of  his  servants,  but  the 
wicked  shall  be  exposed  to  chance  and  human  ac- 
cidents ;  and  the  signs  of  heaven,  which  of  them- 
selves do  but  signify,  or  at  most  but  dispose 
and  incline  towards  events,  shall  be  enough  to  ac- 
tuate and  consummate  their  ruin.  And  this  is 
he  meaning  of  that  proverb  of  the  Jews,  "  Israel 
hath  no  planet;"  which  they  expounded  to  mean, 
if  they  observe  the  law,  the  planets  shall  not  hurt 
them;  God  will  overrule  all  their  influences;  but 
if  they  prevaricate  and  rebel,  the  least  star  in 
the  firmament  of  heaven  shall  bid  them  battle,  and 
overthrow  them.  A  stone  shall  lie  in  a  wicked 
man's  way,  and  God  shall  so  expose  him  to  it, 
leaving  him  so  unguarded  and  defenceless,  that  he 
shall  stumble  at  it  and  fall,  and  lireak  a  bone,  and 
that  shall  produce  a  fever,  and  the  fever  shall  end 
his  days.  For  not  only  every  creature,  when  it  is 
set  on  by  God,  can  prove  a  ruin  ;  but  if  we  be  not 
by  the  providence  of  God  defended  against  it,  we 
cannot  behold  the  least  atom  in  the  sun  without 
danger  of  losing  an  eye,  nor  eat  a  grape  without 
fear  of  choking,  nor  sneeze  without  breaking  of  a 
vein.  And  Arius,  going  to  the  ground,  purged  his 
entrails  forth,  and  fell  down  upon  the  earth,  and 
died.     Such   and   so  miserable  is  tbe   great  inse- 

'  Jer.  X.  2.  Gentes  signa  dieruin  et  iiumerum  mensis  aut 
hebdomadae  cum  metu  superstitioso  observarunt.  Quarta  luna  in- 
faustarcputabatur,  unde  proverbium,  'E;/  rtTpd^i  ytytvvi'inQai. 
Hujusmodi  dies  GraRci  UTrofpna^aq  vocant ;  Latini,  iirfaslju. 
Hesiodus  quintas  omiiino  svispectas  liabet.  Tlffnrrac  H 
t^aXinirOat,  tTrtl  ■)(a\fTrai  re  ki  nircii.      I'.)'  Tri-finrii  yap  <ba<yiv 


CHRIS  I  IAN    KI'.LIGION.  59' 

carity  of  a  sinner:  and  of  this  Job  had  an  excel- 
lent meditation.  '  How  oft  is  the  candle  of  the 
wicked  put  out  ?  and  how  oft  cometh  their  de- 
struction upon  them  ?  God  distributeth  sorrows  in 
his  ani(er.' '  '  For  what  pleasure  hatii  he  in  his 
house  after  him,  when  the  number  of  his  months  is 
cut  oft'  in  the  midst  ?'  'This  is  he  that  dielh  in  his 
full  strenf^tii,  bein<]^  wholly  at  ease  and  quiet.'* 

25.  1  sum  up  this  discourse  with  an  observation 
that  is  made  concerning  the  family  of  Eli,  upon 
ivhich,  for  remissness  of  discipline  on  the  father's 
part,  and  for  the  impiety  and  profaneness  of  his 
sons,  God  sent  this  curse,  '  All  the  increase  of  their 
house  shall  die  in  the  flower  of  their  age.'*  Ac- 
cording- to  that  sad  malediction  it  happened  for 
many  generations;  the  heir  of  the  family  died  as 
soon  as  he  begat  a  son  to  succeed  him ;  till  the 
family  being  wearied  by  so  long  a  curse,  by  tiie 
counsel  of  Rabbi  Johanan  Ben  Zacliary,  betook 
themselves  universally  to  a  sedulous  and  most  de- 
vout meditation  of  the  law;  that  is,  to  an  exem- 
plary devotion  and  strict  religion  :  but  then  the 
curse  was  turned  into  a  blessing,  and  the  line  mas- 
culine lived  to  an  honourable  old  age.  For  the 
doctors  of  the  Jews  said,  that  God  often  changes 
his  purposes  concerning  the  death  of  man,  when 
the  sick  person  is  liberal  in  alms,  or  fervent  in 
prayer,  or  clianges  his  name;  that  is,  gives  uj)  his 
name  to  God  hy  the  serious  purposes  and  religious 
vows  of  holy  obedience.  '  He  that  followelh  after 
righteousness  (alms  it  is  in  the  vulgar  Latin)  and 
mercy,  findeth  life;'*  that  verifies  the  first;  and 
the  fervent  prayer  of  Hezekiah  is  a  great  instance 

'  Job,  xxi.  17.  '   lb.  verse  21.  ^   lb.  verse  23. 

♦   1  Sam.  ii    M  '  Prov.  nxi.  21. 


60  IXCLLLtNCY    t)F    THE 

of  the  second  :  and  all  the  precedent  discourse  was 
intended  for  probation  of  the  third,  and  proves 
that  no  disease  is  so  deadl}'  as  a  deadly  sin;  and 
the  ways  of  righteousness  are  therefore  advantages 
of  health,  and  preservatives  of  life,  (when  health 
and  life  are  good  for  us,)  because  they  are  a  certain 
title  to  all  God's  promises  and  blessings. 

26.  Upon  supposition  of  these  premises,  I  con- 
sider there  is  no  cause  to  wonder,  that  tender  per- 
sons and  the  softest  women  endure  the  violences  ot 
art  and  physic,  sharp  pains  of  caustics  and  cup- 
ping-glasses, the  abscission  of  the  most  sensible 
part,  for  preservation  of  a  mutilous  and  imperfect 
body  :  but  it  is  a  wonder  that,  when  God  hath  ap- 
pointed a  remedy  in  grace  apt  to  preserve  nature, 
and  that  a  dying  unto  sin  should  prolong  our 
K().tural  life,  yet  few  men  are  willing  to  try  the  ex- 
periment. They  will  buy  their  life  upon  any  condi- 
tions in  the  world  but  those  which  are  the  best  and 

, easiest;  any  thing  but  religion  and  sanctity  al- 
tliough  for  so  doing  they  are  promised  that  immor- 
tality shall  be  added  to  the  end  of  a  long  life,  to 
make  the  life  of  a  mortal  partake  of  the  eternal  du- 
ration of  an  angel  or  of  God  himself. 

27.  Fifthly,  The  last  testimony  of  the  excellency 
and  gentleness  of  Christ's  yoke,  the  fair  load  of 
Christianity,  is  the  reasonableness  of  it,  and  the 
unreasonableness  of  its  contrary."  For  whatsoever 
the  wisest  men  in  the  world,  in  all  nations  and  re- 
ligions, did  agree  upon  as  most  excellent  in  itself, 
and  of  greatest  power  to  make  political,  or  future 
and  immaterial  felicities,  all  that  and  much  more 
the  holy  Je^us  adopted  into  his  law.     For  they  re- 

'  Religio  sapientiam  adauget,  et  sapientia  religionem.  La©- 
Unt. — "  Religion  augments  wisdom,  and  wisdom  religion." 


CIIUJSriAN    RELIGION.  61 

ceivinjy  sparks  or  single  irradiations  from  the  re- 
gions of  light,  or  else  having  fair  tapers  shining  in- 
deed excellently  in  representations  and  expresses 
of  morality,  were  all  involved  and  swallowed  up 
into  the  liody  of  light,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness. 
Christ's  discipline  was  tiie  breviary  of  all  the  wis- 
dom of  the  best  men,  and  a  fair  copy  and  transcript 
of  his  Father's  wisdom  :  and  there  is  nothing  in  the 
laws  of  our  religion  but  what  is  perfective  of  our 
spirits,  excellent  rules  of  religion,  and  rare  expe- 
dients of  obeying  God  by  the  nearest  ways  of 
imitation,  and  such  duties  which  are  the  proper 
ways  of  doing  benefits  to  all  capacities  and  orders 
of  men.  But  I  rememl)er,  my  design  now  is  not  to 
represent  Ciiristianity  to  be  a  better  religion  than 
any  otiier;  for  I  speak  to  Christians,  amongst  whom 
we  presuppose  that ;  but  I  design  to  invite  all 
Christians  in  name  to  be  such  as  they  are  called, 
upon  the  interest  of  such  arguments  wiiich  repre- 
sent the  advantages  of  obedience  to  our  religion  as 
it  is  commanded  us  by  God.  ^\nd  this  I  shall 
do  yet  further,  by  considering,  as  touching  those 
Christian  names,  who  apprehend  religion  as  the 
fashion  of  their  country,  and  know  no  other  use  of 
a  church  but  customary,  or  secular  and  profane, 
that  supposing  Christian  religion  to  have  come 
from  God,  as  we  all  profess  to  believe,  there  are  no 
greater  fools  in  the  world,  than  sucli  whose  life  con- 
forms not  to  the  pretence  of  their  baptism  and 
institution.  Tliey  have  ail  the  signs  and  characters 
of  fools,  and  indiscreet,  unwary  persons. 

28.  First,  Wicked  persons,  lil^e  children  and 
fools,  choose  tlie  present,  whatsoever  it  is,  and 
neglect  tlie  infinite  treasures  of  the  future.  They 
that  have  no  faith  nor  foresiijlit  have  an  excuse  for 


6.2  EXCELLliNCV    OT    TffE 

snatching  at  what  is  now  represented,  because  it 
is  that  all  which  can  move  them.  But  then  such 
persons  are  infinitely  distant  from  wisdom,  whose 
understanding  neither  reason  nor  revelation  hath 
carried  further  than  the  present  adherences:  not 
only  because  they  are  narrow  souls  who  cannot 
look  forward,  and  iiave  nothing  to  distinguish  them 
from  beasts,  who  enjoy  the  present,  being  careless 
of  what  is  to  come;  but  also  because  whatsoever  is 
present  is  not  fit  satisfaction  to  the  spirit,  nothing 
but  gluttings  of  the  sense  and  sottish  appetites.' 
Moses  was  a  wise  person,  and  so  esteemed  and  re- 
ported by  the  Spirit  of  God,  because  '  he  despised 
the  pleasures  of  PhaJaoh's  court,  having  an  eye  to 
tiie  recompence  of  reward  ;'  that  is,  because  he  de- 
spised all  the  pi'esent  arguments  of  delight,  and 
preferred  those  excellences  which  he  knew  should 
be  infinitely  greater,  as  well  as  he  knew  they  should 
be  at  all.  He  that  would  have  rather  chosen  to  stay 
in  the  theatre  and  see  the  sports  out,  than  quit  the 
present  spectacle,  upon  assurance  to  be  adopted 
into  Caesar's  family,  had  an  oflTer  made  him  too 
great  for  a  fool ;  and  yet  liis  misfortune  was  not 
big  enough  for  pity,  because  he  understood  nothing 
of  his  felicity,  and  rejected  what  he  understood 
not.  But  he  that  prefers  moments  before  eter- 
nity, and  despises  the  infinite  successions  of  etei"- 
nal  ages,  that  he  may  enjoy  the  present,  not  dar- 
ing to  trust  God  for  what  he  sees  not,  and  having 
no  objects  ol'  his  affections,  but  tliose  which  are  the 
objects  of  his  eyes,  hatli  the  impatience  of  a  child, 
and  the  indiscretion  of  a  fool,  and  the  faithlessness 

'  E(  iiiv  yap  ir^uTTitg  ti  /u6'  >/5oi^i}(,'  alaxpov,  t)  f.uv  r'jSovi) 
irapi}\^e,  rb  Kaicov  jifi'd.  Hierocl. — "  If  thou  doest  a  base 
thing  for  pleasure, the  pleasure  passes  away,  the  evil  remains." 


CHRIS  11\N    HKLIOION.  63 

of  an  unTjfliever.  The  Hxith  and  hope  of  a  Chris- 
tian are  tlie  fj^races  and  portions  of  spiritual  wis- 
dom, which  Christ  designed  as  an  antidote  against 
this  folly. 

29.  Secondly,  Children  and  fools  choose  to  please 
their  senses  ratlier  than  their  reason,  because  they 
still  dwell  within  the  regions  of  sense,  and  have 
hut  little  residence  amongst  intellectual  essences 
And  because  the  needs  of  nature  first  employ  our 
sensual  a])petites,  these  being  first  in  possession 
would  also  fain  retain  it,  and  therefore  for  ever 
continue  their  title,  and  perpetually  fight  for  it. 
But  because  the  inferior  faculty  fighting  against 
the  superior  is  no  better  than  a  rebel,  and  that  it 
takes  reason  for  its  enemy,  it  shows  such  actions 
which  please  tlie  sense,  and  do  not  please  the  rea- 
son, to  be  unnatural,  monstrous,  and  unreason- 
able. And  it  is  a  greater  disreputation  to  the 
understanding  of  a  man  to  be  so  cozened  and 
deceived,  as  to  choose  money  before  a  moral  vir- 
tue; to  please  that  which  is  common  to  him  and 
beasts,  rather  than  that  part  which  is  a  com- 
munication of  the  Divine  nature ;  to  see  him  run 
after  a  bubble  which  himself  hath  made  and  the 
sun  hatli  jiarticoloured,  and  to  despise  a  treasure 
whicii  is  offered  to  him,  to  call  him  off  from  pursu- 
ing that  emptiness  and  nothing.  But  so  dues 
every  vicious  person;  he  feeds  upon  husks,  and 
loathes  manna;  worships  cats  and  onions,  the  beg- 
garly and  basest  Egyptian  deities,  and  neglects  to 
adore  and  lionour  the  eternal  God  :  he  prefers  the 
society  of  drunkards  before  the  communion  of 
«aints;  or  tiie  fellowship  of  harlots,  before  a  choir 
of  pure,  chaste,  and  immaterial  angels;  tlie  sick- 
ness and  filth  of  luxury,  before  the  health  and  pu- 


64  EXCELLENCY    OF    THE 

rities  of  charity  and  temperance ;  a  dish  of  red 
lentil  pottage  b-efore  a  benison  ;  drink  before  im- 
mortality ;  money  before  mercy  ;  wantonness  before 
the  severe  precepts  of  Christian  {)liiIosophy  ;  earth 
before  heaven ;  and  folly  before  the  crowns,  and 
sceptres,  and  glories  of  a  kingdom.  Against  this 
folly  Christian  religion  opposes  contempt  of  things 
below,  and  setting  our  affections  on  things  above. 

30.  Thirdly,  Children  and  fools  propound  to 
themselves  ends  silly,  low,  and  cheap,  the  getting 
of  a  nut-shell,  or  a  bag  of  cherry-stones,  a  gaud  to 
entertain  the  fancy  of  a  i'ew  minutes  ;  and  in  order 
to  such  ends,  direct  their  counsels  and  designs. 
And  indeed  in  this  they  are  innocent.  But  persons 
not  living  according  to  the  discipline  of  Christianity 
are  as  foolish  in  the  designation  of  their  ends, 
choosing  things  as  unprofitable  and  vain  to  them- 
selves, and  yet  with  many  mi'i^ures  o*'  maiice  and 
injuriousness  both  to  themselves  and  others.  His 
end  is  to  cozen  his  brother  of  a  piece  of  land,  or  to 
disgrace  him  by  telling  a  lie,  to  supplant  his  for- 
tune, to  make  him  miserable :  ends  which  WiSe 
men  and  good  men  look  upon  as  miseries  and  per- 
secutions, instruments  of  affliction  and  regret ;  be- 
cause every  man  is  a  member  of  a  society,  and  hath 
some  common  terms  of  union  and  conjuncture 
which  make  all  the  body  susceptive  of  all  accidents 
to  any  part.  And  it  is  a  great  folly,  for  pleasing 
of  the  eye,  to  snatch  a  knife  which  cuts  our  fingers ; 
to  bring  affliction  upon  ray  brother  or  relative 
which  either  must  affect  me,  or  else  1  am  useless,  a 
base  or  dead  person.  The  ends  of  vice  are  ignoble 
and  dishonourable.  To  discompose  the  quiet  of  a 
family,  or  to  create  jealousies,  or  to  raise  wars,  or 
to  make  a  man  less  happy,  or  apparently  miserable. 


CHKlSm.N     KELKilON.  05 

or  to  fish  for  the  tlevil,  ami  gain  souls  to  our  enemy, 
or  to  please  a  passion  that  undoes  us,  or  to  get 
sometliing  that  cannot  satisfy  us  ;  this  is  the  chain 
of  counsels,  and  the  great  aims  of  unchristian  livers: 
they  are  all  of  them  extreme  great  miseries.  And 
it  is  a  great  undecency  for  a  man  to  propound  an 
endless  and  more  imperfect  than  our  present  con- 
dition ;  as  if  we  went  about  to  unravel  our  present 
composure,  and  to  unite  every  degree  of  essence 
and  capacity,  and  to  retire  back  to  our  first  matter 
and  unsiiapcn  state,  iioping  to  get  to  our  journey's 
end  by  going  backwards.  Against  this  folly  the 
iioly  Jesus  opposed  the  fourth  beatitude,  or  precept, 
of'  hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness.' 

31.  Fourthly,  But  children  and  fools,  whatever 
their  ends  be,  they  pursue  them  with  as  mucli 
weakness  and  folly  as  they  first  choose  them  with 
indiscretion  ;  running  to  broken  cisterns,  or  to  pud- 
dles to  quench  their  thirst.  When  they  are  hun- 
gry they  make  fantastic  banquets,  or  put  colo- 
(jiiintidu  into  tiieir  pottage,  that  they  may  be  fur- 
nished with  pot-herbs  :  or  are  like  the  ass  that  de- 
sired to  flatter  his  master,  and  therefore  fawned 
upon  him  like  a  spaniel,  and  bruised  his  shoulders. 
Sucli  undecencies  of  means  and  prosecutions  of  in- 
terests we  find  in  unchristian  courses.  It  may  be 
they  propound  to  themselves  riches  for  their  end, 
and  tliey  use  covetousness  for  tlieir  means,  and  that 
lirings  nought  home ;  or  else  they  steal  to  get  it 
and  they  are  apprehended,  and  made  to  restore 
fourfold.  Like  moths  gnawing  a  garment,  they 
devour  their  own  house,  and  by  greediness  of  de- 
sire they  destroy  their  content,  making  impatience 
the  parent  and  instrument  of  all  their  felicity.  Or 
ihey  are  so  greedy  anfl  imaginative,  and  have  raised 

vol  27 


66  EXCELLFNCY    Of    THE 

theii'  expectation  by  an  over-valuincr  esteem  of  tem- 
poral felicities,  that  when  they  come  they  fall  short 
of  their  promises,  and   are  indeed   less  than  they 
would    have   been,    by   being    beforehand   appre- 
hended greater  than  they  could  be.     If  their  design 
be  to  present  themselves  innocent  and  guiltless  of 
a  suspicion  or  a  fault,  they  deny  the   fact,    and 
double  it.     When  Ihey  would  repair  their  losses, 
they  fall  to  gaming:  and  besides  that,  they  are  in- 
finitely full  of  fears,  passions,  wrath,  and   violent 
disturbances  in  the  various  changes  of  their  game; 
that  which  they  use  to  restore  their  fortunes,  ruins 
even   the   little   remnant,  and  condemns  them   to 
beggary,  or  what  is  worse.     Thus  evil  men  seek  for 
content  out  of  things  that  cannot  satisfy,  and  take 
care  to  get  that  content;  that  is,  they  raise  war  to 
enjoy  present  peace,  and  renounce   all  content  to 
get  it.     They  strive    to  depress  their    neighbours, 
that  they  may  be  their  ef[uals  ;  to  disgrace  them, 
to  get  reputation  to  themselves;  (which  arts  being 
ignoble,  do  them  the  most  dis()aragement;)  and  re- 
solve never  to  enter  into  tiie  felicities  of  God  by 
content  taken  in  the  prosperities  of  man  ;  whicii  is 
making  ourselves  wretched  by  being  wicked.     Ma- 
lice and  envy  is  indeed  a  mighty  curse ;  and  the 
devil  can  show  us  nothing  more  foolish  and  unrea- 
sonable than  envy,  which  is  in  its  very  formality  a 
curse;  an  eating  of  coals  and  vipers,  because  my 
neighbour's  table  is  full,  and  his  cup  is  crowned 
with  health  and  plenty.      The  Christian  religion, 
as  it  chooseth  excellent  ends,  so  it  useth  proportion- 
ate and  apt  means.     The  most  conlrarlictory  acci- 
dent in  the  world,  when  it  becomes  hallowed  by  a 
pious  and  Christian  design,  becomes  a  certain  means 
of  felicity  and   content.      To  quit   our  lands   for 


cilKi^iiAN    i;j.i.i(;ioN.  C7 

Christ's  sake  will  certainly  make  us  rich  ;  to  depart 
from  our  IViends  will  increase  our  relations  and  be- 
neficiaries; but  the  strivinjr  to  secure  our  temporal 
interests  by  any  otiier  means  tlian  obedient  actions 
or  obedient  suft'erings,  is  declared  by  the  holy  Jesus 
to  be  the  greatest  improvidence  and  ill  husbandry 
in  the  world.  Even  in  this  world  Christ  will  repay 
us  an  hundred-Cold  for  all  our  losses  which  we  suffer 
for  tlie  interests  of  Christianity.  In  the  same  pro- 
portion we  find,  that  all  graces  do  the  work  of  hu- 
man felicities  with  a  more  certain  power  and  infal- 
lible effect  than  their  contraries.  Gratitude  endears 
benefits,  and  procures  more  friendships:  confession 
gets  pardon  ;  impudence  and  lying  doubles  the 
fault,  and  exasperates  the  offended  person  :  inno- 
cence is  bold,  and  rocks  a  man  asleep  ;  but  an  evil 
conscience  is  a  continual  alarm.  Against  this 
folly  of  using  disproportionate  means  in  order  to 
obtain  their  ends,  the  holy  Jesus  hath  opposed  the 
eiglit  beatitudes,  which  by  contradictions  of  nature 
and  improbable  causes,  according  to  human  and 
erring  estimate,  bring  our  best  and  wisest  ends  to 
pass  infallibly  and  divinely. 

32.  But  tliis  is  too  large  a  field  to  walk  in  ;  for  it 
represents  all  tlie  flatteries  of  sin  to  be  a  mere  co- 
zenage and  deception  of  the  understanding ;  and 
we  find  by  this  scrutiny,  that  evil  and  unchristian 
persons  are  infinitely  unwise,  because  they  neglect 
the  counsel  of  their  superiors  and  their  guides. 
They  dote  passionately  upon  trifles ;  they  rely 
upon  false  foundations  and  deceiving  principles; 
they  are  most  confident  when  they  are  most  abused; 
they  are  like  shelled  fish,  singing  loudest  when  their 
iiouse  is  on  fire  about  their  ears;  and  being  mer- 
riest when  they  are  most  miserable  and  perishing; 


68  F.XCKI.LENCY    OF    THE 

when  ihey  have  the  option  of  two  thing-s,  they  evef 
choose  the  worst;  they  are  not  masters  of  their  own 
actions,  but  break  all  purposes  at  the  first  tempta- 
tion; they  take  more  pains  to  do  themselves  a  mis- 
chief than  would  secure  heaven;  that  is,  they  are 
rude,  ignorant,  foolish,  unwary,  and  undiscerning 
people  in  all  senses,  and  to  all  purposes;  and  are 
incurable  but  by  their  obedience  and  conformity  to 
the  holy  Jesus,  the  eternal  wisdom  of  the  Father. 

33.  Upon  the  strength  of  these  premises,  t!)e 
yoke  of  Christianity  must  needs  be  apprehended 
light,  though  it  had  in  it  more  pressure  than  it 
hath;  because  lightness  or  heaviness  being  relative 
terms,  are  to  be  esteemed  by  comparison  toothers. 
Christianity  is  far  easier  than  the  yoke  ol'  Moses's 
law,  not  only  because  it  consists  of  fewer  rites,  but 
also  because  those  perfecting  and  excellent  graces 
which  integrate  the  body  of  our  religion,  are  made 
easy  by  Gjd's  assisting,  and  the  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost :  and  we  may  yet  make  it  easier  by  love  and 
by  fear,  which  are  the  proper  products  of  the  evan- 
gelical promises  and  threatenings ;  for  I  have  seen 
persons  in  affrightment  have  carried  burdens, 
and  leaped  ditches,  and  climbed  walls,  which  their 
natural  power  could  never  have  done.  And  if  we 
understood  the  sadnesses  of  a  cursed  eternity,  from 
which  we  are  commanded  to  fly,  and  yet  knew  how 
near  we  are  to  it,  and  how  likely  to  fall  into  it,  it 
would  create  fears  greater  than  a  sudden  fire,  or  a 
midnight  alarm.  And  those  unhappy  souls  who 
come  to  fieel  this  truth,  when  their  condition  is 
without  remedy,  are  made  the  more  miserable  by 
the  apprehension  of  their  stupid  folly  :  for  certainly 
the  accursed  spirits  feel  the  smart  of  hell  once 
doubled  upon  them,  by  considering  by  w  hat  vain  and 


rHitiarnN   ki;i.igiun.  69 

unsatislyin^  tiiHes  tliey  lost  their  iKippiness,  with 
«  h;it  pains  they  perished,  and  with  how  great  ease 
they  might  have  been  beatified.  And  certain  it  is. 
Christian  religion  hath  so  furnished  us  with  assist- 
ances, both  exterior  and  interior,  both  of  persua- 
sion and  advantages,  that  whatsoever  Christ  hath 
doubled  upon  us  in  perfection,  he  hath  alleviated 
in  aids. 

34.  And  then,  if  we  compare  the  state  of  Chris- 
tianity with  sin,  all  the  preceding  discourses  were 
intended  to  represent  how  much  easier  it  is  to  be  a 
Christian  than  a  vile  and  wicked  person.  And 
he  that  remembers,  that  whatever  fair  allurements 
may  be  pretended  as  invitations  to  a  sin,  are 
sucii  false  and  unsatisfying  pretences,  that  they 
drive  a  man  to  repent  him  of  his  folly,  and, 
like  a  great  laughter,  end  in  a  sigh,  and  expire 
in  weariness  and  indignation,  must  needs  con- 
fess himself  a  fool  for  doing  that  which  he  knows 
will  make  him  repent  that  ever  he  did  it.  A  sin 
makes  a  man  afraid  whenever  it  thunders;  and  in 
all  dangers  the  sin  detracts  the  visor,  and  affrights 
him,  and  visits  him  when  he  comes  to  die,  upbraid- 
ing him  Willi  guilt,  and  threatening  misery.  So 
that  Christianity  is  the  easiest  law,  and  the  easiest 
state ;  it  is  more  perfect,  and  less  troublesome ;  it 
brings  us  to  felicity  by  ways  proportionable,  land- 
ing us  in  rest  by  easy  and  unperplexed  journeys. 
This  discourse  I  therefore  thought  necessary,  be- 
cause it  reconciles  our  religion  with  those  passions 
and  desires  which  are  commonly  made  the  instru- 
ments and  arguments  of  sin :  for  we  rarely  meet 
with  such  spirits  which  love  virtue  so  metaphysi- 
cally as  to  abstract  her  from  all  sensible  and  deli- 
rious compositions,  and  love  the  purity  of  the  idea. 


70  EXCELLENCY    OF    THE 

St.  Lewis  the  king  sent  Ivo,  bishop  of  Charlies,  on 
an  embass}' ;  and  he  told.  That  he  met  a  giavt* 
matron  on  the  way,  with  fire  in  one  hand  and 
water  in  the  other;  and,  observing-  her  to  have  a 
melancholic,  religious,  and  fantastic  deportment 
and  look,  asked  her  what  those  symbols  meant, 
and  what  she  meant  to  do  with  her  fire  and  water  ? 
She  answered,  "  My  purpose  is  with  the  fire  to  burn 
Paradise,  and  with  my  water  to  quench  the  flames 
of  hell ;  that  men  may  serve  God  without  the  in- 
centives of  hope  and  fear,  and  purely  for  the  love 
of  God."  Whether  the  woman  were  only  imagina- 
tive and  sad,  or  also  zealous,  I  know  not.  But 
God  knows  he  would  have  few  disciples,  if  the  argu- 
ments of  invitation  were  not  of  greater  promise 
than  the  labours  of  virtue  are  of  trouble.  And 
therefore  the  Spirit  of  God,  knowing  to  what  we 
are  inflexible,  and  by  what  we  are  made  most 
ductile  and  malleable,  hath  propounded  virtue 
clothed  and  dressed  with  such  advantages  as  may 
entertain  even  our  sensitive  part  and  first  desires ; 
that  those  also  may  be  invited  to  virtue  who  under- 
stand not  what  is  just  and  reasonable,  but  what  is 
profitable ;  who  are  more  moved  with  advantage 
than  justice.'  And  because  emolument  is  more  felt 
than  innocence,  and  a  man  may  be  poor  for  ail  his 


'  Quis  enim   virtutem  amplectitur  ipsam,   prasmia   si 

tollas  ? 

Sublatis  studiorum  pretiis,  etiam  studia  peritura,  ut  minus 
decora. — Tacit. 

" P'or  who  will  embrace  virtue  herself  if  you  take  away 

her  rewards  .*'' 

"  The  rewards  of  study  being  denied,  the  studies  will  perish 
as  becoming  less  honourable." 

Vide  Ciceron.  Tuscul.  2  ;  Lact.  lib.  iii.  c.  27-  Instil. ;  et  Idem. 
t.  12.  Aug.  cp.  12. 


CHRISTIAN    RELIGION.  71 

gift  of  cliastity,  the  holy  Jesus,  to  endear  the 
practices  of  reli;^ion,  hatli  represented  g'odliiiess  to 
us  under  tlie  notion  of  gain,  an<l  sin  as  unfruitful : 
and  yet,  besides  all  the  natural  and  reasonable  ad- 
vantages, every  virtue  hath  a  supernatural  reward, 
a  gracious  promise  attending;  and  every  vice  is 
not  only  naturally  deformed,  but  is  made  more 
ugly  by  a  threatening,  and  horrid  by  an  apj)endant 
curse.  Henceforth,  therefore,  let  no  man  complain 
that  the  commandments  of  God  are  impossible; 
for  they  are  not  only  possible  but  easy  :  and  they 
that  say  otherwise,  and  do  accordingly,  take  more 
pains  to  carry  the  instruments  of  their  own  death 
than  would  serve  to  ascertain  them  of  life:  and  if 
we  would  do  as  much  for  Christ  as  we  have  done 
for  sin,  we  should  find  the  pains  less  and  the  plea- 
sure more  :  and  ihtrefore  such  complainers  are 
without  excuse.  For  certain  it  is,  they  that  can  go 
in  foul  ways  must  not  say  they  cannot  walk  in 
fair:  they  that  march  over  rocks,  in  despite  of  so 
many  impediments,  can  travel  the  even  ways  of  re- 
ligion and  peace,  when  the  holy  Jesus  is  their  guide, 
and  the  Spirit  is  their  guardian,  and  infinite  felici- 
ties are  at  tlieir  journey's  end,  and  all  the  reason  of 
the  world,  political,  opcumenical,  and  personal,  do 
entertain  and  support  them  in  the  travel  of  the 
passage. 


THF.  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  Jesus  !  who  gavest  laws  unto  the  world,  that  man- 
kind  being  united  to  thee  by  the  bands  of  obedience,  might 
partake  of  all  thy  glories  and  felicities,  open  our  understanding, 
give  us  liie  spirit  of  dis«erning,  and  just  apprehension  of  all  tlio 
beauties  with  which  thou  hast  enatnatled  virtue,  to  represent  it 


72  OF  ti;KrAiSi\    of  salvation. 

beauteous  and  amiable  in  our  eyes ;  that  by  the  allurements  of 
exterior  decencies  and  appendant  blessings  our  present  desires  may 
be  entertained,  our  hopes  promoted,  our  affections  satisfied,  and 
love,  entering  in  by  these  doors,  may  dwell  in  the  interior  regions 
of  the  will.  O  make  us  to  love  thee  for  thyself,  and  religion  for 
thee,  and  all  the  instruments  of  religion  in  order  to  thy  glory  and 
our  own  felicities.  Pull  off  the  visors  of  sin,  and  discover  its  de- 
formities by  the  lantern  of  thy  word,  and  the  light  of  the  Spirit, 
that  I  may  never  be  bewitched  with  sottish  appetites.  Be 
pleased  to  build  up  all  the  contents  I  expect  in  this  world  upon 
the  interests  of  a  virtuous  life,  and  the  support  of  religion  ;  that 
I  may  be  rich  in  good  works,  content  in  the  issues  of  thy  provi- 
dence, my  health  may  be  the  result  of  temperance  and  severity, 
my  mirth  in  spiritual  emanations,  my  rest  in  hope,  my  peace  in 
a  good  conscience,  my  satisfaction  and  acquiescence  in  thee  :  that 
from  content  I  may  pass  to  an  eternal  fulness,  from  health  to  im- 
mortality, from  grace  to  glory,  walking  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness, by  the  waters  of  comfort,  to  the  land  of  everlasting  rest,  to 
feast  in  the  glorious  communications  of  eternity  ;  eternally  ador- 
ing, loving,  and  etijoying  theinfinity  of  the  ever-blessed  and  mys- 
terious Trinity ;  to  whom  be  glory,  and  honour,  and  dominion, 
now  and  for  ever.    Amen. 


DISCOURSE  XVI. 

Of  Certainly  of  Salvation. 

1.  When  the  holy  Jesus  took  an  account  of  the 
first  legation  and  voyage  of  his  apostles,  he  found 
them  rejoicing  in  privileges  and  exterior  powers, 
in  their  authority  over  unclean  spirits;  but  weigh- 
ing it  in  his  balance,  he  found  the  cause  too  light, 
and  therefore  diverted  it  upon  the  right  object: 
'Rejoice  that  your  names  are  written  in  heaven.' 
The  revelation  was  confirmed,  and  more  personally 
applied  in  answer  to  St.  Peter's  question:  'We 
have  forsaken  all  and  follow-ed  thee:  what  shall  we 


or    (I  RT.AINTV    OF    S  AIV  ATION.  /.'{ 

have  tlierefore  ?'  Tlieir  Lord  answered,  '  Yo  sliall 
sit  upon  twelve,  tlirones,  judjiintj  the  twelve  tribes  oi 
Israel.'  Ainon<rst  these  persons  to  whom  Christ 
Bpake  Judas  was;  he  was  one  of  the  twelve,  and 
he  had  a  throne  allotted  lor  him  ;  his  name  was  de- 
scribed in  the  book  of  life,  and  a  sceptre  and  a 
crown  was  deposited  for  him  too  :  for  we  must  not 
judge  of  Christ's  meaning  by  the  event,  since  he 
spake  these  words  to  produce  in  them  faith,  comfort, 
and  joy  in  the  best  objects.  It  was  a  sermon  of  duty 
as  well  as  a  homily  of  comfort,  and  therefore  was 
equally  intended  to  all  the  college.  And  since  the 
number  of  thrones  is  proportioned  to  the  number  of 
men,  it  is  certain  tliere  was  no  exception  of  any 
man  there  included  ;  and  yet  it  is  as  certain  Judas 
never  came  to  sit  upon  the  throne,  ar.d  his  name 
was  blotted  out  of  the  book  of  life.  Now  if  we  put 
these  ends  together,  that  in  Scripture  it  was  not 
revealed  to  any  man  concerning  his  final  condition, 
but  to  the  dying  penitent  thief,  and  to  the  twelve 
apostles,  that  twelve  thrones  were  designed  for 
them,  and  a  promise  made  of  their  enthronization  ; 
and  yet  that  no  man's  final  estate  is  so  clearly  de- 
clared miserable  and  lost  as  tbat  of  Judas,  one  of 
the  twelve,  to  whom  a  throne  was  promised;  the 
result  will  be,  tiiat  the  election  of  holy  persons  is  a 
condition  allied  to  duty,  absolute  and  infallible  in 
the  general,  and  supposing  all  the  dispositions  and 
requisilies  concurring;  but  fallible  in  the  particu- 
lar, if  we  fall  of!"  from  the  mercies  of  the  covenant, 
and  prevaricate  tiie  conditions.  liut  the  thing 
wiiich  is  most  observable  is,  that  if  in  persons  so 
eminent  and  privileged,  and  to  whom  a  revelation 
of  their  election  was  made  as  u  particular  grace. 


74  OF    CLHIAINTY    <>I-     S    l.\\llON. 

their  condition  had  one  weak  k•L,^  upon  which,  V)e- 
cause  it  did  rely  for  one  half  of  the  interest,  it 
could  be  no  stronger  than  its  supporters;  the  con- 
dition of  lower  persons,  to  whom  no  revelation  is 
made,  no  privileges  are  indulged,  no  greatness  of 
spiritual  eminency  is  appendant,  as  they  have  no 
greater  certainty  in  the  thing,  so  they  have  less  in 
j>erson,  and  are  therefore  to  work  out  their  salvation 
with  great  fears  and  tremblings  of  spirit. 

2.  The  purpose  of  this  consideration  is,  that  we 
do  not  judge  of  our  final  condition  by  any  dis- 
courses of  our  own,  relying  upon  God's  secret  coun- 
sels, and  predestination  of  eternity.  This  is  a 
mountain,  upon  which  whosoever  climbs,  like 
Moses,  to  behold  the  land  of  Canaan  at  great  dis- 
tances, may  please  his  eyes,  or  satisfy  his  curiosity, 
but  is  Cc^itain  never  to  enter  that  way.  It  is  like 
inquiring  into  fortunes,  concerning  which  Phavori- 
nus  the  philosopher  spake  not  unhandsomely : 
"  They  that  foretel  events  of  destiny  and  secret  pro- 
vidence, either  foretel  sad  things  or  prosperous.  If 
they  promise  prosperous,  and  deceive  you,  you 
are  made  miserable  by  a  vain  speculation,  if  they 
threaten  ill  fortune,  and  say  false,  thou  art  made 
wretched  by  a  false  fear.  But  if  they  foretel  ad- 
versity, and  say  true,  thou  art  made  miserable  by 
thy  own  apprehension  before  thou  art  so  by  des- 
tiny ;  and  many  times  the  fear  is  worse  than  the 
evil  feared.  But  if  they  promise  felicities,  and 
promise  truly  what  shall  come  to  pass,  then  thou 
shall  be  wearied  by  an  imj)atience  and  a  suspended 
hope,  and  thy  hope  shall  ravish  and  deflower  the 
joys  of  thy  possession."  Much  of  it  is  hugely  ap- 
plicable to  the  present  question.     And  our  Ijlessed 


OF    CERlAiMY    iJF    SALVATION.  75 

Lord,  when  he  was  petitioned  that  he  would  grant 
to  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  that  they  mi<2^ht  sit 
one  on  the  riijht  hand  and  the  other  on  the  left,  in 
his  kinjTclom,  rejected  their  desire,  and  only  pro- 
mised thetn  what  concerned  their  duty  and  their 
suffering;  referring  them  to  that,  and  leaving  the 
final  event  of  men  to  the  disposition  of  his  Father. 
This  is  the  great  secret  of  the  kingdom,  which 
God  hath  locked  up  and  sealed  with  the  counsels  of 
eternity.  '  The  sure  foundation  of  God  standeth  ; 
having  this  seal,  the  Lord  knovveth  who  are  his." 
This  seal  sl)all  never  be  broken  up  till  the  great  day 
of  Christ :  in  the  meantime,  the  divine  knowledge  is 
the  only  repository  of  the  final  sentences,  and  this 
'  way  of  God  is  unsearchable  and  past  finding  out.' 
And  therefore,  if  we  be  solicitous  and  curious  to 
know  what  God  in  the  counsels  of  eternity  hath 
decreed  concerning  us,  he  halh,  in  two  fair  tables, 
described  all  those  sentences  from  whence  we  must 
take  accounts — the  revelations  of  Scripture,  and  the 
book  of  conscience.  The  first  recites  the  law  and 
the  conditions ;  the  other  gives  in  evidence.  The 
first  is  clear,  evident,  and  conspicuous;  the  other, 
when  it  is  written  with  large  characters,  may  also 
be  discerned;  but  there  are  many  little  accents, 
periods,  distinctions,  and  little  significations  of  ac- 
tions, which  either  are  there  written  in  water, 
or  sullied  over  with  carelessness,  or  blotted  with 
forgelfulness,  or  not  legil)le  by  ignorance,  or  mis- 
construed by  interest  and  jjarliality,  that  it  will  be 
extremely  difficult  to  read  the  hand  upon  the  wall, 
or  to  copy  out  one  line  ol'  the  eternal  sentence. 
And  therefore  excellent  was  the  counsel  of  the  son 

>  2  Tim.  ii.  lU. 


70        OF  CERTAINTY  OF  SALVATION. 

of  Sirach  :  *  Seek  not  out  the  thing^s  that  are  too 
hard  for  thee,  neither  search  the  thint^s  that  are 
above  thy  strenoth.  But  what  is  commanded  thee 
think  tliereupon  with  reverence ;  for  it  is  not 
needful  for  thee  to  see  with  thine  eyes  the  things 
that  are  in  secret.' '  For  whatsoever  God  hath  re- 
vealed in  general  concerning  election,  it  concerns 
all  persons  within  the  pale  of  Christianity.  He 
hath  conveyed  notice  to  all  Christian  people,  that 
they  are  sons  of  God,  that  they  are  the  heirs  of 
eternity,  coheirs  with  Christ,  partakers  of  the 
divine  nature  ;  meaning  that  such  they  are  by  the 
design  of  God,  and  the  purposes  of  the  manifesta- 
tion of  his  Son.  The  election  of  God  is  disputed 
in  Scripture  to  be  an  act  of  God,  separating  whole 
nations  and  rejecting  others ;  in  each  of  which, 
many  particular  instances  there  were  contrary  to 
the  general  and  universal  purpose ;  and  of  the 
elect  nations  manj^  particulars  perished,  and  many 
of  the  rejected  people  'sat  down  with  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' 
And  to  those  persons  to  whom  God  was  more  par- 
ticular, and  was  pleased  to  show  the  scrolls  of  his 
eternal  counsels,  and  to  reveal  their  particular  elec- 
tions, as  he  did  to  the  twelve  apostles,  he  showed 
them  wrapped  up  and  sealed :  and,  to  take  off 
their  confidences  or  presumptions,  he  gave  proba- 
tion in  one  instance,  that  those  scrolls  may  be  can- 
celled, that  his  purpose  concerning  j)articulars 
may  be  altered  by  us ;  and  therefore  that  he  did 
not  discover  the  bottom  of  the  abyss,  but  some 
purposes  of  special  grace  and  indefinite  design. 
But  his  peremptory,   final,  unalterable  decree,  he 

>  Ecclus.  iii.  21,22. 


OF    CERTAIMY    OF    SALVATION.  77 

keeps  in  llie  cuhinels  of  the  eternal  ages,  never  to 
be  unlocked  till  tlie  angel  of  the  covenant  shall 
declare  the  unalterable  universal  sentence. 

3.  But  as  we  take  the  measure  of  the  course  of 
the  sun  by  the  dimensions  of  the  shadows  made  by 
our  own  bodies  or  our  own  instruments;  so  must 
we  take  the  measures  of  eternity  by  the  span  of  a 
man's  iiand,  and  guess  at  what  God  decrees  of  us, 
by  considering  how  our  relations  and  endearments 
are  to  him.  And  it  is  observable,  that  all  the  con- 
fidences which  the  Spirit  of  God  hath  created  in 
the  elect,  are  built  upon  duty,  and  stand  or  fall 
according  to  the  strength  or  weakness  of  such  sup- 
porters. '  We  know  we  are  translated  from  death 
to  life  by  our  love  unto  the  brethren  :''  meaning, 
that  the  performance  of  our  duty  is  the  best  con- 
signation to  eternity,  and  the  only  testimony  God 
gives  us  of  our  election.  And  tlierefore  we  are  to 
make  our  judgments  accordingly.  And  here  I 
consider,  that  there  is  no  state  of  a  Christian,  in 
which  by  virtue  of  the  covenant  of  the  gospel  it  is 
effectively  and  fully  declared  that  his  sins  are  ac- 
tually pardoned,  but  only  in  baptism,  at  our  first 
coming  to  Christ,  when  he  redeems  us  from  our 
vain  conversation,  when  he  makes  us  become  sons 
of  God,  when  he  justifies  us  freely  by  his  grace, 
when  we  are  purified  by  faith,  wiien  we  make  a 
covenant  with  Christ  to  live  for  ever  according  to 
his  laws.  And  this  I  shall  suppose  I  have  alreadv 
proved  and  explicated  in  the  discourse  of  repent- 
ance. So  that  whoever  is  certain  he  hath  not 
ofTended  God  since  that  time,  and  in  nothing 
transgresseth  the  laws  of  Christianity,  he  is  certain 

'    1  John,  iii.  14. 


78  OF    CKIIIAIMV    OF    SALVATION. 

that  he  actually  remains  in  the  state  of  baptismal 
purity  ;  but  it  is  too  certain  that  this  certainty  re- 
mains not  lonof,  but  we  commonly  throw  some  dirt 
into  our  waters  of  baptism,  and  stain  our  white 
robe  which  we  then  put  on. 

4.  But  then  because  our  restitution  to  this  state 
is  a  thing  that  consists  of  so  many  parts,  is  so  di- 
visible, various,  and  uncertain  whether  it  be  arrived 
to  the  degree  of  innocence,  (and  our  innocence 
consists  in  a  mathematical  point,  and  is  not  capa- 
ble of  degrees  any  more  than  unity,  because  one 
stain  destroys  our  being  innocent,)  it  is  therefore  a 
very  difficult  matter  to  say  that  we  have  done  all 
our  duty  towards  our  restitution  to  baptismal 
grace ;  and  if  we  have  not  done  all  that  we  can 
do,  it  is  harder  to  say  that  God  hath  accepted  that 
which  is  less  than  the  conditions  we  entered  into, 
when  we  received  the  great  justification  and  pardon 
of  sins.  We  all  know  we  do  less  than  our  duty, 
and  we  hope  that  God  makes  abatements  for  human 
infirmities;  but  we  have  but  a  few  rules  to  judge 
by,  and  they  not  infallible  in  themselves,  and  we 
yet  more  fallible  in  the  application ;  whether  we 
l)ave  not  mingled  some  little  minutes  of  m.alice  in 
the  body  of  infirmities,  and  how  much  will  bear 
excuse,  and  in  what  time,  and  to  what  persons, 
and  to  what  degrees,  and  upon  what  endeavours 
we  shall  be  pardoned.  So  that  all  the  interval 
between  our  losing  baptismal  grace,  and  the  day 
of  our  death,  we  walk  in  a  cloud,  having  lost  the 
certain  knowledge  of  our  present  condition  by  our 
prevarications.  And  indeed  it  is  a  very  hard 
thing  for  a  man  to  know  his  own  heart.  And  he 
that  shall  observe  how  often  himself  hath  been 
abused    by   confidences  and   secret   imperfections, 


or    CEKTAINTY    Ol-    SAl.VATlDN.  /H 

and  how  the  "greatest  part  of  Christians  in  name 
only  do  tliink  ihemselves  in  a  very  good  condition, 
when  God  knows  they  are  infinitely  removed  from 
it;  (and  yet  iftiiey  did  not  think  themselves  well 
and  sure,  it  is  unimaginable  they  should  sleep  so 
quietly,  and  walk  securely,  and  consider  negli- 
gently, and  yet  proceed  confidently  ;)  he  that  con- 
siders this,  and  upon  what  weak  and  false  princi- 
ples of  divinity  men  have  raised  their  strengths 
and  persuasions,  will  easily  consent  to  this,  that  it 
is  very  easy  for  men  to  be  deceived  in  taking  esti- 
mate of  their  present  condition,  of  their  being  in 
the  state  of  grace. 

5.  But  there  is  great  variety  of  men,  and  dif- 
ference of  degrees ;  and  every  step  of  returning  to 
God  may  reasonably  add  one  degree  of  hope,  till 
at  last  it  comes  to  the  certainty  and  top  of  hope. 
Many  men  believe  themselves  to  be  in  the  state  of 
grace,  and  are  not ;  many  are  in  the  state  of  grace, 
and  are  infinitely  fearful  they  are  out  of  it:  and 
many  that  are  in  God's  favour  do  think  they  are 
so,  and  they  are  not  deceived.  And  all  this  is  cer- 
tain. For  some  sin  that  sin  of  presumption  and 
flattery  of  themselves  ;  and  some  good  persons  are 
vexed  with  violent  fears  and  temptations  to  des|)air, 
and  all  are  not  :  and  when  their  hopes  are  right, 
yet  some  are  strong,  and  some  are  weak.  For  they 
that  are  well  persuaded  of  their  present  condition, 
have  persuasions  as  diflferent  as  are  the  degrees  of 
their  approach  to  innocence  ;  and  he  that  is  at  the 
higluL'st,  hath  also  such  abatements  which  are  apt 
and  proper  for  the  conservation  of  humility  and 
godly  fear.  'I  am  guilty  of  nothing,'  sailh  St.  Paul  ; 
•but  I  am  not  hereby  justified:''  meaning  thus, 
'   1  Cor.  iv  4. 


so  OF    CERTAJNTY    OF    SALVATION. 

though  I  be  innocent,  for  ought  I  know  ;  yet  God, 
who  judges  otherwise  than  we  judge,  may  find 
something  to  reprove  in  me :  '  It  is  God  that 
judges,'  that  is,  concerning  my  degrees  of  accept- 
ance and  hopes  of  glory.  If  the  person  be  newly 
recovering  from  a  state  of  sin,  because  his  state  is 
imperfect,  and  his  sin  not  dead,  and  his  lust  active, 
and  his  habit  not  quite  extinct,  it  is  easy  for  a  man 
to  be  too  hasty  in  pronouncing  well.  He  is  wrapt 
up  in  a  cloak  of  clouds,  hidden  and  encumbered  ; 
and  liis  brightest  day  is  but  twilight,  and  his  dis- 
cernings  dark,  conjectural,  and  imperfect;'  and  his 
hetut  is  like  a  cold  hand  nevvly  applied  to  the  fire, 
full  of  pain,  and  whether  the  heat  or  the  cold  be 
strongest  it  is  not  easy  to  determine:  or  like 
middle  colours,  which  no  man  can  tell  to  which 
of  the  extremes  they  are  to  be  accounted.'  But 
according  as  persons  grow  in  grace,  so  they  may 
grow  in  confidence  of  their  present  condition.  It 
is  not  certain  they  will  do  so ;  for  sometimes  the 
beauty  of  their  tabernacle  is  covered  with  goats'- 
hair  and  skins  of  beasts  ;  and  holy  people  do  infi- 
nitely deplore  the  want  of  such  graces  which  God 
observes  in  them  with  great  complacency  and  ac- 
ceptance. Both  these  cases  say,  that  to  be  cer- 
tainly persuaded  of  our  present  condition  is 
not  a  duty  :  sometimes  it  is  not  possible,  and 
sometimes  it  is  better  to  be  otherwise.  But,  if  we 
consider  of  this  certainty  as  a  blessing  and  a  re- 
ward, there  is  no  question  but  in  a  great  and  emi- 
nent sanctity  of  life  there  may  also  be  a  great  con- 
fidence and  fulness  of  persuasion,  that  our  present 
being  is  well  and  gracious ;  and  then  it  is  certain 

I  £cc]es.ix.  1,  2. 


OF    CF.rilAlNr\     nl     SALVATION.  81 

tl);it  sutli  persons  are  not  rleceived.  For  the  thinfj 
itself  beinj^  sure,  if  the  persuasion  answers  to  it,  it 
is  needlesss  to  dispute  of  the  deg;ree  of  certainty 
and  the  manner  of  it.  Some  persons  are  lieartily 
persuaded  of  their  being  reconciled  ;  and  of  these 
some  are  deceived,  and  some  are  not  deceived; 
and  there  is  no  si;;n  to  distinp^uish  them,  but  by 
that  which  is  the  thing  signified  ; — a  holy  life,  ac- 
cording to  the  strict  rules  of  Christian  discipline, 
tells  what  persons  are  confident,  and  who  are  pre- 
sumptuous. But  the  certainty  is  reasonable  in 
none  but  in  old  Christians,  habitually  holy  persons; 
not  in  new  converts,  or  in  lately  lapsed  people; 
for  concerning  lliem  we  find  the  Spirit  of  God 
speaking  with  clauses  of  restraint  and  ambiguity  ; 
a  '  perhaps,' '  and,  'who  knoweth  ?*  and  '  perad- 
venture  the  thoughts  of  thy  heart  may  be  forgiven 
thee;'*  God  may  have  mercy  on  thee.  And  that 
God  hath  done  so,  they  only  have  reason  to  be 
confident,  wliom  God  hath  blessed  with  a  lasting, 
continuing  jiiet}',  and  who  have  wrought  out  the 
habits  of  their  precontracted  vices. 

6.  But  we  find  in  Scripture  many  precepts 
given  to  holy  persons,  being  in  the  state  of  grace, 
to  secure  their  standing,  and  perpetuate  their  pre- 
sent condition.  For,  'He  that  endureth  unto  the 
end  ho  [only]  shall  be  saved,"  said  our  blessed 
Saviour :  and  '  lie  that  standeth,  let  him  take  heed 

'  Beatus  Daniel  prascius  futuroruni,  tie  sentcrilia  Dei  dubitat. 
Rem  temerariam  faciunt  qui  aiuiacter  veniam  pollicentur  pec- 
cantibus. — S.  Hieron.  Dan.  iv.  27.  "  The  blessed  Daniel, 
thou(»h  revealing  future  things,  doubts  concerning  the  sentence 
of  (iod.  They  act  with  temerity  who  boldly  promise  pardon  to 
Rtnners." 

•  Joel,  ii.  14  ;  Acts,  viii.  2i.  '  3Iatt.  xxiv.  Hi. 

voi_     II.  2S 


b'i  OF    CEHIAIMY    UF    SAl,VATION. 

iest  l)e  fall : ' '  and,  '  riiou  slandest  by  /'aillj ;  be 
not  high-minded,  but  fear  :'^  and,  '  Work  out  your 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling.''  '  Hold  fast 
that  thou  hast,  and  let  no  man  take  thy  trown 
j'rom  thee  :'*  and  it  was  excellent  advice;  for  one 
church  had  'lost  their  first  love,'*  and  was  likely 
also  to  lose  their  crown.  And  St.  Paul  himself, 
who  had  once  entered  within  the  veil,  and  seen 
unutterable  glories,  yet  was  forced  to  endure  hard- 
ship, and  to  fight  against  his  own  disobedient  ap- 
j)elite,  and  to  do  violence  to  his  inclinations,  for 
fear  that,  '  whilst  he  preaclied  to  others,  himself 
t^liould  become  a  cast-away.'  And  since  we  ob- 
serve in  holy  story,  that  Adam  and  Eve  fell  in 
paradise,  and  the  angels  fell  in  heaven  itself,  stum- 
bling at  the  very  jewels  which  pave  the  streets  of 
the  celestial  Jerusalem;  and  in  Christ's  family, 
one  man,  for  whom  his  Lord  had  prepared  a  throne, 
turned  devil;  and  that  in  the  number  of  the  dea- 
cons, it  is  said  that  one  turned  apostate,  who  yet 
had  been  a  man  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  it  will 
lessen  our  train,  and  discompose  the  gaieties  of  our 
present  confidence,  to  think  that  our  securities 
cannot  be  really  distinguished  from  danger  and 
uncertainties  For  every  man  walks  upon  two 
legs  ;  one  is  firm,  invariable,  constant,  and  eternal ; 
but  the  other  is  his  own.  God's  promises  are  the 
objects  of  our  faith;  but  the  events  and  final  con- 
ditions of  our  souls,  which  are  consequent  to  our 
duty,  can  at  the  best  be  but  the  objects  of  our 
hope.  And  either  there  must  in  this  be  a  less  cer- 
tainty, or  else  faith   and  hope  are  not  two  distinct 

r  1  Cor.  X.  12.  -  Kom.  xi.  20.  -  Phil.  ii.  12 

♦  Kcv.  iii.  11.  'Ibid.  xxiv. 


OF    CIIM  AINIV    Ul     .SALVATION.  83 

graces.  '  God's  gids  und  vocation  are  without 
repentance;''  meaning,  on  God's  part:  but  the 
very  people  concerning  whom  St.  Paul  used  the 
expression,  were  reprobate  and  cut  off,  and  in  good 
time  shall  be  called  again  ;  in  the  meantime  many 
.single  persons  perish.  '  There  is  no  condemna- 
tion to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus.'*  God  will 
look  to  that,  and  it  will  never  fail :  but  then  they 
must  secure  the  following  period,  and  '  not  walk 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.'*  '  Behold  the 
goodness  of  God  towards  thee,'  saith  St.  Paul,  '  if 
thou  continue  in  his  goodness;  otherwise  thou 
also  shall  be  cut  off.'  And  if  this  be  true  con- 
cerning the  whole  church  of  the  Gentiles,  to  whom 
the  apostles  then  made  the  address,  and  concerning 
whose  election  the  decree  was  public  and  manifest, 
that  they  might  be  cut  off,  and  tlieir  abode  in 
God's  favour  was  upon  condition  of  their  perseve- 
rance in  the  faith  ;  much  more  is  it  true  in  single 
persons,  whose  election  in  particular  is  shut  up  in 
the  abyss,  and  permitted  to  the  condition  of  ou. 
faith  and  obedience,  and  the  revelations  of  dooms 
day. 

7.  Certain  it  is,  that  God  hath  given  to  holy 
persons  the  spirit  of  adoption,  enabling  them  to 
cry,  '  Abba,  Father,'  and  to  account  tliemselves  for 
8ons ;  and  by  this  'spirit  we  know  we  dwell  in 
Iiim,'  and  therefore  it  is  called  in  Scripture,  '  the 
earnest  of  the  Spirit:'*  though  at  its  first  mission, 
and  when  the  aposlle  wrote  and  used  this  appella- 
tive, tlie  Holy  Ghost  was  of  greater  signification, 
and  a  more  visible  earnest  and  endearment  of  their 

'   Ilom.  xi.  29.  -  Horn.  viii.  I.  J  Rom.  xi.  22. 

*  Rom.  viii.  15  ;  1  John,  jv.  \'i  ;  2  Cor.  i.  22,  and 
».  ft. 


84        OF  CEKTAINTY  OF  SALVATION. 

hopes,  than  it  is  to  most  of  us  since.  For  the  visi- 
ble sending  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  many  believers, 
in  gifts,  signs,  and  prodigies,  was  an  infinite  argu- 
ment to  make  them  expect  events  as  great  beyond  that 
as  that  was  beyond  the  common  gift  of  men  :  just  as 
miracles  and  prophecy,  which  are  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  were  arguments  of  probation  for  the  wliole 
doctrine  of  Christianity.  And  this  being  a  mighty 
verification  of  the  great  promise,  the  promise  of 
the  Father,  was  an  apt  instrument  to  raise  their 
hopes  and  confidences  concerning  those  other  pro- 
mises which  Jesus  made,  the  promises  of  immor- 
tality and  eternal  life,  of  which  the  present  mira- 
culous graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit  were  an  earnest, 
and  in  the  nature  of  a  contracting-penny.  And 
still  also  the  Holy  Ghost,  though  in  another  man- 
ner, is  '  an  earnest  of  the  great  price  of  the  hea- 
venly calling,'  the  rewards  of  heaven  ;  though  not 
so  visible  and  apparent  as  at  first,  yet  as  certain 
and  demonstrative,  where  it  is  discerned,  or  where 
it  is  believed,  as  it  is  and  ought  to  be  in  every  per- 
son who  does  any  part  of  his  duty,  because  by  the 
Spirit  we  do  it,  and  without  him  we  cannot.  And 
since  we  either  feel  or  believe  the  presence  and 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  holy  purposes,  (for 
whom  we  receive  voluntarily,  we  cannot  easily 
receive  without  a  knowledge  of  his  reception,)  we 
cannot  but  entertain  him  as  an  argument  of  greater 
good  hereafter,  and  an  earnest-penny  of  the  per- 
fection of  the  present  grace,  that  is,  of  the  rewards 
of  glory  ;  glory  and  grace  differing  no  otherwise, 
than  as  an  earnest  in  part  of  payment  does  from 
the  whole  price,  'the  price  of  our  liigh  calling." 
So  that  the  Spirit  is  an  earnest,  not  because  he 
ulways  signifies  to  us  that  we  are  actually  in  the 


or     CKRTAINTY    OF    «iAl.  V  A  IION.  83 

State  of  grace,  but  by  way  of  argument  or  reflec- 
tion. We  know  we  do  belong  to  God,  when  we 
receive  liis  Spirit ;  (and  all  Christian  people  have 
received  him,  if  they  were  rightly  baptized  and 
confirmed  ;)  I  say,  we  know  by  that  testimony  that 
we  belong  to  God  ;  that  is,  we  are  the  people  witli 
whom  God  hath  made  a  covenant,  to  whom  he 
hath  promised  and  intends  greater  blessings,  to 
which  the  present  gifts  of  the  Spirit  are  in  order. 
But  all  this  is  conditional,  and  is  not  an  immediate 
testimony  of  the  certainty  and  future  event;  but 
of  the  event  as  it  is  possibly  future,  and  may 
(without  our  fault)  be  reduced  to  act  as  certainly 
as  it  is  promised,  or  as  the  earnest  is  given  in  hand. 
And  this  the  Spirit  of  God  oftentimes  tells  us  in 
secret  visitations  and  |)ublic  testimonies  ;  and  this 
is  that  which  St.  Paul  calls,  '  tasting  of  the  hea- 
venly gift,  and  partaking  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
tasting  of  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers  of 
the  world  to  come.''  But  yet  some  that  nave  done 
so,  have  fallen  away,  and  have  quenched  the 
Spirit,  and  have  given  back  the  earnest  of  the 
Spirit,  and  contracted  new  relations;  and  God  hath 
been  their  Father  no  longer,  for  they  have  done  the 
works  of  the  devil.  So  that  if  new  converts  be 
uncertain  of  tlieir  present  state,  old  Christians  are 
not  absolutely  certain  they  shall  persevere.  They 
are  as  sure  of  it  as  Wliey  can  be  of  future  acts  of 
theirs  which  God  hath  permitted  to  their  own 
power:  but  this  certainty  cannot  exclude  all  fear, 
till  their  charity  be  perfect ;  only  according  to  the 
strength  of  their  habits,  so  is  the  confidence  of  their 
ftbodes  in  grace. 

>  llcb.  vi.  4,  5. 


^  OF    CEKTAfNTY    OF    SAI.VATlU.N 

8.  Beyond  this,  some  holy  persons  have  degrees 
of  persuasion  superadded  as  hxrgesses  and  acts  of 
grace;  God  loving  to  bless  one  degree  of  grace 
with  another,  till  it  comes  to  a  confirmation  in 
grace,  which  is  a  state  of  salvation  directly  oppo- 
site to  obduration  :  and  as  this  is  irremediable  and 
irrecoverable,  so  is  the  other  inamissible.  As 
God  never  saves  a  person  obdurate  and  obstinately 
impenitent,  so  he  never  loses  a  man  whom  he  hath 
confirmed  in  grace;  •'  whom  he  [so]  loves,  he  loves 
unto  the  end  :'  and  to  others,  indeed,  he  offers  his 
persevering  love;  but  they  will  not  entertain  it  with 
a  persevering  duty,  they  will  not  be  beloved  unto 
the  end.  But  I  insert  this  caution,  that  every  man 
that  is  in  this  condition  of  a  confirmed  grace,  does 
not  always  know  it :  but  sometimes  God  draws 
aside  the  curtains  of  peace,  and  shows  him  his 
throne,  and  visits  hira  with  irradiations  of  glory, 
and  sends  him  a  little  star  to  stand  over  his  dwell- 
ing, and  then  again  covers  it  with  a  cloud.  It  is 
certain  concerning  some  persons,  that  they  shall 
never  full,  and  that  God  will  not  permit  them  to 
the  danger  or  probability  of  it ;  to  such  it  is  mo- 
rally impossible  :  but  these  are  but  few,  and  them- 
selves know  it  not  as  they  know  a  demonstrative 
proposition,  but  as  they  see  the  sun,  sometimes 
breaking  from  a  cloud  verj-  brightly,  but  all  day 
long  giving  necessary  and  sufficient  light. 

9.  Concerning  the  multitude  of  believers  this 
discourse  is  not  pertinent,  for  they  only  take  their 
own  accounts  by  the  imperfections  of  their  own 
duty  blended  with  the  mercies  of  God:  the  cloud 
gives  light  on  one  side,  and  is  dark  upon  the  other; 
and  sometimes  a  bright  ray  peeps  through  the 
fringes  of  a  shower,  and  immediately  hides  itself; 


OF  cektainty  of  salvation.  &7 

that  we  mii^lit  be  liunible  and  diligent,  strivitij^  for- 
wards, and  looking:  upwards,  endeavouring  our 
duty,  and  longing  after  heaven,  '  working  out  our 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling;'  and  in  good 
time  our  calling  and  election  may  be  assured, 
when  we  first,  according  to  the  precept  of  the 
apostle,  use  all  diligence.  St.  Paul,  when  he  wrote 
his  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  was  more  fear- 
ful of  being  reprobate,  and  therefore  he  used  exte- 
rior arts  of  mortificntion.'  But  when  he  wrote  to 
the  Romans,  wliicli  was  a  good  while  after,  we  find 
him  more  confident  of  jiis  final  condition,  '  per- 
puaded  that  neither  lieight,  nor  depth,  angel,  nor 
principality,  nor  power,  could  separate  him  from 
ihe  love  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ.'*  And  when  he 
grew  to  liis  latter  end,  when  he  wrote  to  St.  Timo- 
thy, he  was  more  confident  yet,  and  declared  tliat 
now  *  a  crown  of  righteousness  was  certainly  laid 
up  for  him;  for  now  he  had  fouglit  the  fight,  and 
finished  his  course  ;  the  time  of  his  departure  was  at 
hand.'  *  Henceforth  he  knew  no  more  fear  ;  his  love 
was  as  perfect  as  this  state  would  permit,  and  that, 
cast  out  all  fear.  According  to  this  precedent,  ii 
we  reckon  our  securities,  we  are  not  likely  to  be  re- 
proved by  any  words  of  Scripture,  or  by  the  con- 
ditions of  human  infirmity  :  but  when  the  confi- 
dence outruns  our  growth  in  grace,  it  is  itself  a 
sin;  though  when  the  confidence  is  equal  with 
tlie  grace,  it  is  of  itself  no  regular  and  universal 
duty,  but  a  blessing  and  a  reward  indulged  by  spe- 
cial dispensation,  and  in  order  to  personal  neces- 
sities or  accidental  purposes.  For  only  so  much 
hope  is  simply  necessary  as  excludes  despair,  nnd 

•   1  Cor.  ix.  27.  '  Rom.  viii.  38, 39. 

■<  2  Tiin.  iv.  «,  7,  «. 


88        or  CEUIAINTV  or  SALVATiON. 

encourages  our  duty,  and  glorifies  God,  and  enter- 
tains liis  mercy  :  but  that  the  hope  should  be  with- 
out fear,  is  not  given  but  to  the  highest  faith,  and 
the  most  excellent  charity,  and  to  habitual,  ratified, 
and  confirmed  Christians;  and  to  them  also  with 
some  variety.  The  sum  is  this  :  all  that  are  in  the 
state  of  beginners  and  imperfection  have  a  condi- 
tional certainty,  changeable  and  fallible  in  respect 
of  us  ;  (for  we  meddle  not  witli  what  it  is  in  God's 
secret  purposes;)  changealjle,  I  say,  as  their  wills 
and  resolutions.  They  that  are  grown  towards 
perfection  have  more  reason  to  be  confident, 
and  many  times  are  so:  but  still,  although  the 
strength  of  the  habits  of  grace  adds  degrees  of  mo- 
ral certainty  to  their  expectation,  yet  it  is  but  as 
their  condition  is,  hopeful  and  promising,  and  of  a 
moral  determination.  But  to  those  few  to  whom 
God  hath  given  confirmation  in  grace,  he  hath  also 
given  a  certainty  of  condition  ;  and  therefore  if  that 
be  revealed  to  them,  their  persuasions  are  certain 
and  infallible.  If  it  be  not  revealed  to  them,  their 
condition  is  in  itself  certain,  but  their  pereuasion  is 
not  so;  but  in  the  highest  kind  of  hope,  'an  an- 
chor if  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast.' 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  God,  whose  counsels  are  in  the  great  deep,  and  thy 
ways  past  finding  out;  thou  hast  built  our  faith  upon  thy  pro- 
mises, our  hopes  upon  thy  goodness,  and  hast  described  our  paths 
between  the  waters  of  comfort  and  the  dry,  barren  land  of  our  own 
duties  and  affections.  We  acknowledge  that  all  our  comforts  derive 
from  thee,  and  to  ourselves  we  owe  all  our  shame  and  confusions 
and  degrees  of  desperation.  Give  us  the  assistances  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  help  us  in  performing  our  duty  ;  and  give  us  thoee  com- 


(tv  cEKi'visrv  tiF  -^Ai  v.v  riov.  8'J 

forts  and  visitation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  thou  in  thy  infinite 
and  eternal  wisdom  knowest  most  apt  and  expedient  to  encourage 
our  duties,  to  entertain  our  hopes,  to  alleviate  our  sadnesses,  to 
refresh  our  spirits,  and  to  endure  our  abode  and  constant  cndea- 
vours  in  the  strictnesses  of  religion  and  sanctity.  Lead  us, 
dearest  God,  from  grace  to  grace,  from  imperfection  to  strength, 
from  acts  to  habits,  from  habits  to  confirmation  in  grace;  that 
we  may  also  pass  into  the  region  of  comfort,  receiving  the  earn- 
est of  the  Spirit,  and  the  adoption  of  sons;  till  by  such  a  signa- 
ture we  be  consigned  to  glory,  and  enter  into  the  possession  of 
the  ii.heritance  which  we  expect  in  the  kingdom  of  Ihy  Son,  and 
in  the  fruition  of  ths  fe'iicities  of  thee,  O  gracious  Father,  Owl 
eternal.     Amen. 


90  THE    TlllKD    YEAR    Of 


SECTION  XIV. 

of  (he  Third  Year  of  (he  Preaching  qfJestts. 

1.  But  Jesus  knowing  of  the  death  of  the  Baptist, 
Herod's  jealousy,  and  the  envy  of  tlie  Pharisees,  re- 
tired into  a  desert  place  beyond  the  lake,  together 
with  his  apostles;  for  the  people  pressed  so  upon 
them,  they  had  not  leisure  to  eat.  But  neither 
there  could  he  be  hid,  but  great  multitudes  flocked 
tliither  also;  to  whom  he  preached  many  things. 
And  afterwards,  because  there  were  no  villages  in 
the  neighbourhood,  lest  they  should  faint  in  their 
return  to  their  houses,  he  caused  them  to  sit 
down  upon  the  grass;  and  with  five  loaves  of  bar- 
ley, and  two  small  fishes  he  satisfied  five  thousand 
men,  besides  women  and  children ;  and  caused  the 
disciples  to  gather  up  the  fragments,  which  being 
amassed  together  filled  twelve  baskets.  Which 
miracles  had  so  much  proportion  to  the  understand- 
ing, and  met  so  happily  with  the  affections  of  the 
people,  that  they  were  convinced  that  this  was  the 
'  Messias  who  was  to  come  into  the  world,'  and 
had  a  purpose  to  have  taken  him  by  force,  and 
made  him  a  king. 

2.  But  he  that  left  his  Fathers  kingdom,  to  take 
upon  liim  the  miseries  and  infelicities  of  the  world, 
fled  from  the  offers  of  a  kingdom,  and  their  tu- 
multuary election,  as  from  an  enemy :  and  there- 
fore, sending  his  disciples  to  the  ship  to  go  before 
towards  Belhsaida,  he  ran  into  the  mountains  to 
hide  himself,  till  the  multitude  should  scatter  to  their 
several  habitations;  he,  in  the  meantime,  taking 
the    opportunity   of  that    retirement  for    the    ad- 


ii^Ls*.^  pru:AciiiNo.  91' 

vantage   of  his  prayers.     But   when   the   apostlei 
were   far  engaged   in  the  deep,  a   great    tempest 
arose,  with  which  they  were  pressed  to  tlie  extremi- 
ty of  danger,  and  the  hvst   refuges,  hibouring  in 
sadness  and  hopelessness,  till  the  fourth  watch  ot 
llie  night;  when,  in  the  midst  of  their  fears  and 
labour,  Jesus  conies  walking  on  the  sea,  and  aj)- 
peared  to  them,  which  turned  their  fears  into  af- 
IVightments;  for  they  supposed  it  had  been  a  spi- 
rit.    But   he   appeased  their   fears   with  his  pre- 
sence and  manifestation  who  he  was;    which  yet 
they  defsired    to  have   proved   to   them  by  a  sign. 
For  '  Simon  Peter  said  unto  him,  '  INIaster,  if  it  be 
thou,  command  me  to  come  to  thee  on  the  waters.' 
The  Lord    did    so :    and   Peter,  throwing    himself 
upon  the  confidence  of  his  Master's  j)ower  and  pro- 
vidence, came  out  of  tlie  ship;  and  his  fear  began 
to  Weigh  him  down,  and  he  cried,  saying,  '  Lord, 
save  me.'     Jesus  look  him  by  tlie  hand,  reproved 
the  timorousness  of  his  faith,  and  went  with  iiiiu 
into  the  ship;  where,  when  they  had   worshipped 
him,  and  admired  the  divinity  of  his   power  and 
person,  they  presently  came  into  the  land  of  Gen- 
nesaret,  the  ship  arriving  at  the  port  immediately. 
And   all   that  were  sick,  or  possessed  of  unclean 
spirits,  'were  brought  to    him:    and   as   many  as 
touched  the   border  of  his    garment    were    made 
whole.' 

3.  By  this  time  they  whom  Jesus  had  left  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake,  had  come  as  far  as  Ca- 
pernaum to  seek  him,  wondering  that  he  was 
tliere  before  tliem.  But  upon  the  occasion  of  their 
Ko  diligent  inquisition,  Jesus  observes  to  them, 
"  That  it  was  nut  the  divinity  of  the  miracle  that 
provoked  their  zeal,  but  the  satisfaction  they  had 


93  THt     1UIIU>    Yi;\K    OF 

in  tlje  loaves,  a  carnal  complacency  in  their  meal: 
and  upon  that  intimation  speaks  of  celestial  bread, 
the  divine  nutriment  of  souls;  and  then  discourses 
of  the  mysterious  and  symbolical  manducation  ol 
Christ  himself;  affirming-  that  he  himself  was  '  the 
bread  of  life  that  came  down  from  heaven;'  that  he 
would  give  his  disciples  '  his  flesh  to  eat,  and  his 
blood  to  drink;'"  and  all  this  shall  be  '  for  the  life 
of  the  world,'  to  nourish  unto  life  eternal ;  so  that 
without  it  a  happy  eternity  could  not  be  obtain- 
ed. Upon  this  discourse  *  divers  of  his  disciples 
(amongst  whom  St.  Mark  the  evangelist  is  said  to 
be  one,  though  he  was  afterwards  recalled  by  Si- 
mon Peter)  forsook  him,'"  being  scandalized  by  their 
literal  and  carnal  understanding  of  those  words  of 
Jesus,  which  he  intended  in  a  spiritual  sense.  For 
the  words  that  he  spake  were  not  profitable  in  the 
sense  of  flesh  and  blood;  but  '  they  are  spirit,  and 
they  are  life.,'  himself  being  the  expounder,  uho 
best  knew  his  own  meaning. 

4.  When  Jesus  saw  this  great  defection  of  his  dis- 
ciples from  him, he  turned  him  to  the  twelve  apostles, 
and  asked  if  they  '  also  would  go  away.  Simon  Pe- 
ter answered.  Lord,  whither  shall  we  go  ?  thou  hast 
the  words  of  eternal  life  :  and  we  believe  and  are 
sure  thou  art  that  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God.' 
Although  this  confession  was  made  by  Peter,  in  the 
name  and  confidence  of  the  other  apostles,  yet 
Jesus  told  them,  that  even  amongst  the  twelve 
there  was  one  devil ;  meaning  Judas  Iscariot,  who 
afterwards  betrayed  him.  This  he  told  them  pro- 
phetically, that  they  might  perceive  the  sad  acci. 
dents  which  afterwards  happened,  did  not  invade 

'  £piphan.  Haeres.  Id. 


ji:si  s  s  ntKAtiiiNr..  93 

and  surprise  him  in  llje  disadvuntages  of  ignorance 
or  im))rovision,  l)iit  ranieby  his  own  knowledge  and 
jirovidenco. 

5.  Tiifu  came  to  him  tlie  Pharisees,  and  some 
Scribes,  which  came  from  Jernsalem  and  Galilee, 
(fo  'Jesus  would  not  go  to  Judaea,  because  the 
Jews  laid  wait  to  kill  him,)  and  quarrelled  with 
him  about  certain  impertinent,  unnecessary  rites, 
derived  to  them  not  by  Divine  sanction,  but  ordi- 
nances of  man;  such  as  were,  'washing  their  hands 
oft  when  they  eat,  baj)tizing  cups  and  platters,' 
and  '  washing  tables  and  beds :'  which  ceremonies 
the  apostles  of  Jesus  did  not  observe,  but  attended 
diligently  to  the  simplicity  and  spiritual  holiness  oi 
their  Master's  doctrine.  But  in  return  to  their  vain 
demands,  Jesus  gave  them  a  sharp  reproof,  for  pro- 
secuting these  and  many  other  traditions,  to  the 
discountenance  of  divine  precepts;  and  in  particu- 
lar, they  taught  men  to  give  to  the  Corban,  and  rt-- 
fused  to  supply  the  necessity  of  their  j)arents,  think- 
ing it  to  be  religion,  though  they  nei^kcted  piety 
and  charity.  And  again  he  thunders  cut  woes  and 
sadnesses  against  their  impieties;  for  beiiig  curious 
of  minutes,  and  punctual  in  rites  and  ceremonials, 
but  most  negligent  and  incurious  of  judgment  and 
the  love  of  God  ;  for  tlieir  pride,  for  their  hypocrisy, 
for  their  imposing  burdens  upon  others  which 
themselves  helped  not  to  support ;  for  taking  away 
ihe  key  of  knowledge  I'rom  the  people,  obstructing 
the  passages  to  heaven  ;  for  approving  the  acts  of 
their  fatht-rs  in  persecuting  the  prophets.  But  for 
the  question  itself,  concerning  washings,  .Tesus 
taught  the  |)eople,  that  no  outward  impurity  did 
stain  the  soul  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  but  all  pol- 
lution is  from  within,  from  the  corruption  of  Uie 


94  THE    THIRD    YEAR    OF 

licart  and  impure  thoughts,  unchaste  desiies  and 
unholy  purposes;  and  that  charity  is  the  best  pu- 
rifier in  the  world. 

6.  And  thence 'Jesus  departed  into  the  coasts  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  entered  into  a  house/  that  lie 
might  not  be  known.  The  diligence  of  a  mother's 
love  and  sorrow,  and  necessity,  found  him  out  in 
his  retirement :  for  '  a  Syrophoenician  woman  came 
and  besought  him  1  e  would  cast  the  devil  out  of 
her  daughter.'  But  Jesus  discoursed  to  her  by  way 
of  discomfort  and  rejection  of  her,  for  her  nation's 
sake.  But  the  seeming  denial  did  but  enkindle 
her  desires,  and  made  her  importunity  more  bold 
and  undeniable:  she  begged  but  'some  crumbs 
that  fell  from  the  children's  table,'  but  one  instance 
of  favour  to  her  daughter,  which  he  poured  forth 
without  measure  upon  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Israel.  Jesus  was  pleased  with  her  zeal  and  dis- 
cretion, and  pitied  her  daughter's  infelicity,  and 
dismissed  her  with  saying,  '  the  devil  was  gone  out 
of  her  daughter.' 

7.  But  Jesus  stayed  not  long  here,  but  returning 
*  to  the  sea  of  Galilee,  through  the  midst  of  Deca- 
polis,  they  brought  unto  hin\,  a  mjin  deaf  and 
dumb  ;'  whom  Jesus  cured  by  's.  ^j-  j^|^,  his  tongue, 
and  putting  his  fingers  in  1' .^^  lnad^' '^ ''^^'^  caused 
the  people  to  give  a  largf^^j^^  ^^lony  in  appro- 
bation of  all  his  actions.  ^  ,ind  they  followed 
him  unto  a  mountain,  bringing  to  him  multitudes 
of  diseased  people  ;  and  he  healed  them  all.  But 
because  the  people  had  followed  him  '  three  days, 
and  had  nothing  to  eat,'  Jesus,  in  pity  to  their 
need,  resolved  to  feast  them  once  more  at  the  charge 
of  a  miracle :  therefore  taking  '  seven  loaves  and  a 
few  small  fishes,   he  blessed  them,'  and  '  satisfied 


JESUS'S    PRRACHING  93 

four  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children.' 
And  there  remained  '  seven  baskets  full  of  broken 
bread  and  fish.'  From  whence  Jesus  departed  by 
ship  to  the  coasts  of  Mageddon  and  Dalmanutha, 
whither  '  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  came  seek- 
ing of  liim  a  sign.'  But  Jesus  rejected  tlieir  im- 
pertinent and  captious  demand,  knowing  they  did 
it  to  ill  purposes  and  with  disaffection  ;  reprov- 
ing them,  that  they  '  discerned  the  face  of  the  sky,* 
and  the  prognostics  of  fair  or  foul  weatlier,  but '  not 
the  signs  of  tlie  times'  of  the  Son  of  man.  How- 
ever, since  they  had  neglected  so  great  demonstra- 
tions of  miracles,  gracious  discourses,  holy  la.^s 
and  prophecies,  they  must  expect  '  no  other  sign 
but  the  sign  of  the  propliet  Jonas ;'  meaning,  the 
resurrection  of  his  liody  after  three  days'  burial. 
And  so  he  dismissed  the  impertinent  inquisitors. 

8.  And  passing  again  over  the  lake,  as  his  dis- 
ciples were  solicitous,  because  '  they  had  forgot  to 
take  bread,'  he  gave  them  caution  to  beware  '  of 
the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  and  the 
leaven  of  Herod  :'  meaning  the  hypocrisy  and  va- 
nities of  the  one,  and  the  heresy  of  the  other  :  for 
Herod's  leaven  was  the  pretence  that  he  was  the 
Messias  ;  which  the  sect  of  the  Herodians  did  ear- 
nestly and  spitefully  promote.  And  after  this  en- 
tertainment of  themselves  by  the  way,  they  came 
together  to  Bethsaida,  where  Jesus  cured  a  blind 
man  with  acollyrium  of  spittle,  salutary  as  balsam, 
or  the  purest  eye-hright,  when  his  divine  benedic- 
tion once  had  hallowed  it.  But  Jesus  staid  not 
there,  hut  departing  thence,  into  the  coasts  of 
Cacsarea  Pliilip|)i,out  of  Herod's  power,  (for  it  was 
in  Philip's  jurisdiction,)  after  he  had  '  prayed  with 
his  disciples,'  he  enquired  what  opinion  the  world 


96  'IHi;    THIIll)    VEAK    (»F 

had  of  Ilim,  and  '  whom  lliey  lepoited  him  to  be. 
They  answered,  Some  say  thou  art  John  the  Bap- 
tist, some  that  thou  art  Elias,  or  Jeremias,  or  one  of 
the  prophets  :'  for  in  Galilee  especially  the  sect  of 
the  Pharisees  was  mightily  disseminated,  whose 
opinion  it  was,  that  the  souls  of  dead  men,  accord- 
ing to  their  several  merits,  did  transmigrate  into 
other  bodies  of  very  perfect  and  excellent  persons. 
And  therefore  in  all  this  variety,  none  hit  upon  the 
right,  or  fancied  him  to  be  a  distinct  person  from 
the  ancients  :  but  although  they  differed  in  the  as- 
signation of  his  name,  yet  generally  they  agreed  it 
was  the  soul  of  a  departed  prophet  which  had  pas- 
sed into  another  body.  But  Jesus  asked  the  apos- 
tles their  opinion  ;  and  Peter,  in  the  name  of  all 
the  rest,  made  an  open  and  confident  confession. 
Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.' 
9.  This  confession  Jesus  not  only  confirmed  as 
true,  but  as  '  revealed  by  God,'  and  of  fundamental 
necessity :  for  after  the  blessing  of  Peter's  person 
upon  allusion  of  Peter's  name,  Jesus  said,  that'  upon 
this  rock  [the  article  of  Peter's  confession,]  he 
would  build  his  church  ;' promising  to  it  assistances 
even  to  i)erpetuity,  insomuch  that  '  the  gates  ot 
hell,'  that  is,  persecution,  and  death,  and  the  grave, 
'  should  never  prevail  against  it.'  Adding  withal 
a  promise  to  Peter,  in  behalf  or  all  the  rest,  as  he 
made  a  confession  for  tiiem  all,  that  he  would 
'  give  unto  him  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ; 
so  that  whatsoever  he  should  bind  on  earth  should 
be  bound  in  heaven,  and  whatsoever  he  should 
loose  on  earth  should  be  loosed  in  heaven  ;  a  power 
which  he  never  communicated  before  or  since,  but 
to  their  successors ;  greater  than  the  large  charter 
of  nature  and  tht'  ilonative  of  creation,  in  ;,>iich  all 


jKSL'ss  i-UEAi  iiisa.  y7 

the  creatures  under  heaven  were  ninde  .sulijccl  u> 
man's  empire,  but  till  now  heaven  itself  was  never 
subordinate  to  human  ministration. 

10.  And  now  tlie  days  from  henceforward  to  the 
death  of  Jesus  we  must  reckon  to  be  like  the  vigils 
or  eves  of  his  passion  ;  for  now  he  begjan,  and  often 
did  ingeminate  those  sad  predictions  of  his  un- 
handsome usaffe  he  should  shortly  find ;  that  he 
should  be  '  rejected  of  the  elders,  and  chief-priests, 
and  Scribes,  and  suffer  many  thin<^s  at  Jerusalem, 
and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  up  the  third  day.'  But 
Peter,  hearinjj  that  sad  discourse,  so  contrary  to  his 
hopes,  which  he  had  blended  with  temporal  ex- 
pectances, (for  he  had  learnt  tlie  doctrine  of  Christ's 
advent,  but  not  the  mystery  of  the  cross,)  in 
great  and  mistaken  civility,  took  .fesus  aside, 
'  and  began  to  rebuke  him,  saying,  Be  it  far  from 
thee.  Lord ;  this  shall  not  be  unto  thee.'  But  Jesus, 
full  of  zeal  against  so  soft  and  human  admonition, 
that  savoured  nothing  of  God,  or  of  abstracted  im- 
material considerations,  chid  Peter  bitterly  :  '  Get 
thee  behind  me,  Satan  ;  thou  art  an  offence  unto 
me.  And  calling  his  disciples  to  him,  he  told  them 
a  second  part  of  the  sad  doctrine,  that  not  only  him- 
self, but  all  they  also  must  suffer:  for  when  the 
head  was  to  be  crowned  with  thorns,  if  the  mem- 
bers were  wrapped  in  softnesses,  it  was  an  unhand- 
some indecency,  and  a  disunion  too  near  an  anti- 
pathy ;  and  therefore  whoever  will  be  tiie  disciple 
of  Jesus,  must  '  take  up  his  cross,  deny  himself,' and 
iiis  own  fonder  appetites,  and  trace  his  Master's 
footsteps,  marked  out  with  blood  that  he  shed  for 
our  redemption  and  restitution.  And  that  there 
be  no  escape  from  the  participation  of  Christ's  suf- 

VOL.     11.  "«, 


08  THE     IllUtU    Vl'Vll    »>F 

fering',  Jesus  adtlerl  tliis  dilemma:  '  He  that  "ill 
save  liis  life  sliall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  will  lose  it 
shall  save  it'  to  eternity.  Which  part  soever  we 
choose,  there  is  a  life  to  be  lost.  But  as  the  first 
are  foolish  to  the  extremest  misery,  that  will  lose 
their  souls  to  gain  the  world  ;  so  they  are  most 
wise  and  fortunate  that  will  give  their  lives  for 
him,  because  when  *  the  Son  of  man  shall  c  me  in 
his  own  glory,  and  his  Father's,  and  of  his  angels', 
he  siiall  reward  every  man  according  to  his  works." 
This  discourse  Jesus  concluded  with  a  prophecy, 
that  some,  standing  in  that  preseticd  '  should  not 
die  till  they  saw  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his 
kingdom.' 

11.  Of  the  greater  glories  of  which,  in  due  time 
to  be  revealed,  '  Jesus  after  eight  days"  gave  a  bright 
and  excellent  probation :  for  '  taking  with  him 
Peter,  and  James,  and  John,  he  went  up  into  the 
mountain  Tabor  to  pray :  and  while  he  prayed  he 
was  transfigured  before  them  ;  and  his  face  did 
fihine  like  the  sun,  and  his  garments  were  white  and 
glistering.  And  there  appeared  talking  with  him 
Moses  and  Elias  gloriously,  speaking  of  the  de- 
cease which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem  ;' 
which  glory,  these  apostles,  after  they  had 
awaked  from  sleep,  did  behold.  And  the  interlo- 
cutors with  Jesus,  having  finished  their  embassy 
of  death,  (which  they  delivered  in  forms  of  glory, 
representing  the  excellencies  of  the  reward,  to- 
gether with  the  sharpness  of  the  passage  and 
interval,)  departed,  leaving  the  apostles  full  of 
fear,  and  wonder,  and  ecstacy ;  insomuch  that 
*  Peter  talked  he  knew  not  what,'  but  nothing 
amiss,  something  prophetical ;  saying,  '  Master,  it 


JESLS'S    PREACHINU.  1'9 

is  good  to  be  here  :  let  us  build  three  tabernacles.*' 
And  some  devout  persons,  in  memory  of  the  mys- 
tery, did  erect  three  churches  in  the  same  place  in 
after-ajres.  But  after  the  departure  of  those  atten- 
dant saints,  a  cloud  encircled  Jesus  and  the  dis- 
ciples, and  a  voice  came  from  the  excellent  glory. 
•This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  him."  The  cloud 
quickly  disappeared,  and  freed  the  disciples  from 
the  fear  it  had  i)ut  them  in.  So  they  attended 
Jesus  and  descended  from  the  mountain,  being 
commanded  silence ;  which  they  observed  till  the 
resurrection. 

12.  The  next  day  came  to  Jesus  a  man  praying 
in  behalf  of  his  son,  lunatic  and  sore  troubled  with 
a  devil,  who  sought  oft  to  destroy  him  in  fire  and 
water,  that  Jesus  would  be  pleased  to  deliver  him. 
For  his  apostles  tried,  and  could  not,  by  reason  of 
the  want  of  faith  :  for  this  grace,  if  it  be  true, 
though  in  a  less  degree,  is  of  power  to  remove 
mountains,  to  pluck  up  trees  by  the  roots,  and  to 
give  them  solid  foundation  in  the  waters.  And 
Jesus  rebuked  the  devil,  and  he  departed  out  of 
him  from  that  very  hour.  Then  Jesus  departed 
privately  into  Galilee,  and  in  his  journey  repeated 
those  sadnesses  of  his  approacliing  passion  ;  whicli 
so  afflicted  the  spirits  of  the  disciples,  that  they 
durst  no  more  provoke  him  to  discourse,  lest  he 
should  take  occasion  to  interweave  something  of 
that  unpleasant  argument  with  it.  For  sad  and 
disconsolate  persons  use  to  create  comforts  to  them- 
selves by  fiction  of  fancy,  and  use  arts  of  avocation 
to  remove  displeasure  from  them,  and  stratagems 
to  remove  it  from  their  presence,  by  removing  it 

'  Bede  de  I.ocu  Sanctu,  c.  I?. 


HO  IHL     IHIHU    YEAR    Of 

from  their  apprehensions;  thinking  the  incommo- 
dity  of  it  is  then  taken  away  when  they  have  lost 
the  sense. 

13.  When  Jesus  was  now  come  to  Capernaum, 
the  exactors  of  rates  came  to  Simon  Peter,  asking 
him  if  his  Master  paid  the  accustomed  imposition, 
viz.  a  side  or  a  didrachm,  the  fourth  part  of  an 
ounce  of  silver,  which  was  the  tribute  which  the 
Lord  imposed  upon  all  the  sons  of  Israel  from 
twenty  years  old  and  above,  to  pay  for  redemption 
and  propitiation,  and  for  the  use  of  the  tabernacle.' 
When  "Peter  came  into  the  house,  Jesus  knowing 
the  message  that  he  was  big  with,  prevented  him, 
by  asking  him,  '  Of  whom  do  the  kings  of  the  na- 
tions take  tribute  ;  of  their  own  children,  or  of 
stran_ij,eis?'  Peter  answered,  '  Of  strangers.'  Then 
said  Jesus,  *  then  are  the  children  free  ;'  meaning, 
that  since  the  Gentile  kings  do  not  exact  tribute  of 
their  sons,  neitiier  will  God  of  his.  And  therefore 
this  pension  to  be  paid  for  ihe  use  of  the  tabernacle, 
for  the  service  of  God,  for  the  redemption  of  their 
souls,  was  not  to  be  paid  by  him,  who  was  the  Son 
of  God,  but  by  strangers.  Yet,  to  avoid  offence, 
he  sent  Peter  a  fishing,  and  provided  a  fish  with 
two  didrachms  of  silver  in  it,  which  he  commanded 
Peter  to  pay  for  them  two. 

14.  But  when  the  disciples  were  together  with 
Jesus  in  the  house,  he  asked  them  what  they  dis- 
coursed of  upon  the  way.  For  they  had  fallen 
upon  an  ambitious  and  mistaken  quarrel,  which  of 
them  should  be  greatest  in  their  Master's  kingdom  ; 
which  they  still  did  dream  should  be  an  external 
and  secular  royalty,  full  of  fancy  and  honour.    But 

>  Exod.  xxx. 


JF.StSS    I'llEACHING.  lOl 

the  Master  was  dilifjent  to  check  their  forwardness, 
establishing  a  rule  for  clerical  deportment :  '  He 
that  will  be  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be  your 
minister:'  so  supposing  a  greater  and  a  lesser,  a 
minister  and  a  person  to  be  ministered  unto  ;  but 
dividing  tiie  grandeur  of  the  person  from  the  great- 
ness of  office,  that  the  higher  the  employment  is, 
the  more  humble  should  be  the  man.  Because  in 
spiritual  prelation  it  is  not  as  in  secular  pomps, 
where  the  dominion  is  despotic,  the  coercion  bloody, 
tiie  dictates  imperious,  the  laws  externally  com- 
pulsory, and  the  titles  arrogant  and  vain  ;  and  all 
the  advantages  are  so  j^assed  upon  the  person,  that 
making  that  first  to  be  splendid,  it  passes  from  the 
person  to  the  subjects,  who  in  abstracted  essences 
do  not  easily  apj)rehend  regalities  in  veneration, 
but  as  they  are  subjected  in  persons  made  excellent 
by  sucli  superstructures  of  majesty.  But  in  digni- 
ties ecclesiastical  the  dominion  is  paternal,  the  regi- 
ment j)ersuasive  and  argumentative,  the  coercion 
by  censures  immaterial,  by  cession  and  consent, 
by  denial  of  benefits,  by  the  interest  of  virtues,  and 
the  efficacy  of  hopes,  and  impresses  upon  the 
spirit;  the  laws  are  full  of  admonition  and  sermon  ; 
the  titles  of  honour  monitors  of  duty,  and  memo- 
rials of  labour  and  offices  ;  and  all  the  advantages, 
wiiich  from  the  office  usually  pass  upon  the  per- 
son, are  to  be  divested  by  the  humility  of  the 
man ;  and  wlien  they  are  of  greatest  veneration, 
they  are  abstracted  exctllencies  and  immaterial, 
not  passing  tl)rough  tlie  person  to  the  people,  and 
reflected  to  his  lustre,  but  transmitted  by  his  labour 
and  ministry,  and  give  him  honour  for  his  labour's 
sake,  (which  is  his  personal  excellency,)  not  for 
his  honour  and   titb'.  which   is  either  a  derivative 


102  THi:     IHIKO    YEAH    Of 

from  Christ,  or  IVom  the  constitution  of  pious  per- 
sons, estimating  and  valuing  the  relatives  of  reli- 
gion. 

15.  Then  Jesus  taketh  a  little  child,  and  setteth 
him  in  the  midst,  propounding  him,  by  way  of  em- 
blem, a  pattern  of  humility  and  simplicity,  without 
the    mixtures  of  ambition  or  caitive   distempers  : 
such  infant  candour  and   lowliness  of  spirit  being 
the  necessary  port  through  which  we  must  pass,  if 
we  will  enter  into  the  courts  of  heaven.     But  as  a 
current  of  wholesome  waters  breaking  from  its  re- 
straint runs  out  in  a  succession  of  waters,  and  every 
preceding  draught  draws  out  the  next;  so  were  the 
discourses  of  Jesus  excellent  and  opportune,  creat- 
ing occasions  for  others,  that  the  whole  doctrine  of 
the  gospel  and  the  entire  will  of  the  Father  might 
be  communicated  upon  design  ;  even  the  chances  of 
words  and  actions  being  made  regular  and  orderly 
by  divine  providence  :   for  from  the  instance  of  hu- 
mility in  the  symbol  and  hieroglyphic  of  the  child, 
Jesus  discourses   of  "the  care  God  takes  of  little 
children,  whether   naturally    or   spiritually  such  ; 
the   danger  of  doing  them  scandal  and  ofFimces ; 
the   care  and    power  of  their  angels-guardian  ;  of 
the   necessity   in    the   event  that  scandals  should 
arise,  and  of  the  great  woe  and  infelicity  of  those 
persons   who   were   the   active    ministers   of  such 
offences." 

16.  But  if  in  the  traverses  of  our  life  discontents 
and  injuries  be  done,  Jesus  teaches  how  the  in- 
jured person  should  demean  himself:  first,  reprove; 
the  offending  party  privately;  if  he  repent,  forgive 
him  for  ever,  with  a  mercy  as  unwearied  and  as 
multiplied  as  his  repentance.'  For  the  servant  to 
'  Injuriam  qui   Uilit,    oblirisci  potest ;  qui  fecit,  nunquam- 


JliSLbS    1>RF..\CUINU.  lOi 

whom  hii)  Lord  had  forgiven  ten  thousand  talents, 
because  he  refused  to  forgive  his  fellow-servant 
one  hundred  pence,  was  delivered  to  the  tormen- 
tors, till  he  should  pay  that  debt  which  his  lord 
once  forgave,  till  tlie  servant's  impiety  forced  him 
to  repent  his  donative  and  remission.'  But  if  he 
refuses  the  charity  of  private  correction,  let  him  be 
reproved  before  a  few  witnesses:  and  in  case  he  be 
still  incorrigible,  let  him  be  brought  to  the  tribunal 
of  the  churcli ;  against  whose  advices  if  he  shall 
kick,  let  him  feel  her  power,  and  be  cut  off  from 
llie  communion  of  saints,  becoming  a  pagan  or  u 
public.in.  And  to  make  that  the  cliurch  shall  not 
have  a  dead  and  ineffectual  hand  in  her  animad- 
versions, Jesus  promises  to  all  the  apostles,  what 
before  he  pron)ised  to  Peter,  a  power  of  binding 
and  loosing  on  earth,  and  that  it  should  be  ratified 
in  heaven  what  they  shall  so  dispose  on  earth,  with 
an  unerring  key. 

17.  But  John  interrupted  him,  telling  him  of  a 
stranger  that  cast  out  devils  in  the  name  of  Jesus ; 
but  because  he  was  not  of  the  family,  he  had  for- 
bidden him.  To  this  Jesus  replied,  that  he  should 
'  in  no  wise  have  forbidden  him  ;'  for  in  all  reason 
he  would  do  veneration  to  lliat  person  whose  name 
he  saw  to  be  energetical  and  triumphant  over  devils, 
and  in  whose  name  it  is  almost  necessary  that  m.in 
should   believe,   who  used   it  as  an  instrument  of 


Tacit.  —  "  He  who  has  suffered  an  injury  may  forget  it:  he  who 
has  inflicted  it  can  never." 

'  D°  pocnis  debitorum  qni  solvendo  non  sunt,  vide  Livium. 
Decad.  1.  lib.  i.  &  vi.  et  Dionys.  Ilalicarn.  Hist.  Rom.  lib.  tI. 
et  A.  GelHuni,  lib.  xx.  r.  1.  Cod.  Theod.  lib.  iv.  &  7-  de 
exact. 


104  Tju:  TiiiRn  year   of 

ejection  of  impure  spirits.  Then  Jesus  proceeded  ia 
his  excellent  sermon  and  union  of  discourses,  add- 
ing holy  precepts  "  concerning  offences  which  a 
man  might  do  to  himself;  in  which  case  he  is  to 
be  severe,  though  most  gentle  to  others  :  for  in  his 
own  case  he  must  show  no  mercy,  but  abscission : 
for  it  is  better  to  cut  off  the  offending  hand  or  foot, 
or  extinguish  the  offending  eye,  rather  than,  upon 
the  support  of  a  troublesome  foot,  and  by  the  light 
of  fin  offending  eye,  walk  into  ruin  and  a  sad  eter- 
nity, where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched."  And  so  Jesus  ended  this  chain  of  ex- 
cellent discourses. 

IS.  About  this  time  was  the  Jews'  feast  of  taber- 
nacles, whither  Jesus  went  up  as  it  were  in  secret; 
and  passing  through  Samaria,  he  found  the  inha- 
bitants of  a  little  village  so  inhospitable  as  to  re- 
fuse to  give  him  entertainment ;  which  so  provoked 
the  intemperate  zeal  of  James  and  John,  that  they 
would  fain  have  called  for  fire  to  consume  them, 
even  as  Elias  did  But  Jesus  rebuked  the  furies  of 
their  anger,  teaching  them  to  distinguish  the  spirit 
of  Christianity  from  the  ungentleness  of  the  decre- 
tory zeal  of  Elias  :  for  since  the  Son  of  man  came 
with  a  purpose  to  seek  and  to  save  what  was  lost, 
it  was  but  an  indiscreet  temerity  suddenly,  upon  the 
lightest  umbrages  of  displeasure,  to  destroy  a  man, 
whose  redemption  cost  the  effusion  of  the  dearest 
blood  from  the  heart  of  Jesus.  But  contrariwise 
Jesus  does  a  miracle  upon  the  ten  leprous  persons 
who  came  to  him  from  the  neighbourhood,  crying 
out  with  sad  exclamations  for  help.  But  Jesus  sent 
them  to  the  priest  to  offer  for  their  cleansing.  Thither 
they  went;  and  but  one  only  returned  to  give  thanks. 


itsus's  ruEACHiNa.  105 

and  he  '  a  >;tiiinger,'  who  '  u ith  a  loud  voice  glorified 
GoJ,'  and  with  humble  adoration  worshipped,  and 
gave  thanks  l<.  Jesus. 

19.  When  Jesus  had  finished  his  journey,  and 
was  now  come  to  Jerusalem,  for  the  first  days  he 
«as  undiscerned  in  public  conventions,  but  heard 
of  the  various  opinions  of  men  concerninfj  him; 
some  say inj^  he  was  a  good  man;  others,  that  he 
deceived  tiie  people:  and  the  Pharisees  sought  for 
him  to  do  him  a  mischief.  But  when  they  despaired 
of  finding  him  in  the  midst  of  the  feast  and  the 
l>eople,  he  made  sermons  openly  in  the  midst  of 
the  temple  :  u  horn  when  he  had  convinced  by  the 
variety  and  divinity  of  his  miracles  and  discourses, 
they  gave  the  greatest  testimony  in  the  world  of 
liuman  weakness,  and  how  prevalent  a  prejudice  is 
above  the  confidence  and  conviction  of  a  demon- 
stration :  for  a  proverb,  a  mistake,  an  error,  in  mat- 
ter of  circumstance,  did  in  their  understandings 
outweigii  multitudes  of  miracles  and  arguments: 
and  because  '  Christ  was  of  Galilee,'  because  '  they 
knew  whence  he  was,'  because  of  the  proverb, 
that  '  out  of  Galilee  comes  no  prophet,'  because 
'  the  rulers  did  not  believe  in  him,'  these  outweighed 
the  demonstrations  of  his  mercy,  and  his  power, 
and  divinity.  But  yet  '  very  many  believed  on 
him  ;  and  no  man  durst  lay  hands  to  take  him  :  for 
as  ytt  his  time  was  not  come,' in  which  he  meant  to 
give  himself  up  to  the  power  of  the  Jews.  And 
therefore,  when  the  Pharisees  sent  officers  to  seize 
him,  they  also  became  his  disciples,  being  them- 
selves surprised  by  the  excellency  of  iiis  doclrine- 

20.  After  this  '  Jesus  went  to  tlie  Mount  of  Oli- 
vet,* on  the  east  of  Jerusalem,  and  '  the  next  day 
reliJinfd  again  into  the  tenij)li' ;'  «  hno  the  Siriltes 


10^  THE     IHIRD    YEAR    OF 

and  Pliarisees  brought  liim  a  woman  taken  in  the 
act  of  adultery,'  tempting  him  to  give  sentence,  that 
they  might  accuse  him  of  severity  or  intermed- 
dling, if  he  condemned,  or  of  remissness  and  popu- 
larity, if  he  did  acquit  her.  But  Jesus  found  out 
an  expedient  for  tlieir  difficulty,  and  changed  the 
scene,  by  bidding  '  the  innocent  person  among 
them  cast  the  first  stone  at  the  adulteress  :'  and 
then  stooping  down,  to  give  them  fair  occasion  to 
withdraw,  '  he  wrote  upon  the  ground  with  his 
finger,'  whilst  they  left  the  woman  and  her  crime  to 
a  more  private  censure.  '  Jesus  was  left  alone,  and 
the  woman  in  the  midst ;'  whom  Jesus  dismissed, 
charging  her  to  '  sin  no  more.'  And  a  while  after, 
.lesus  begins  again  to  discourse  to  them,  "of  his 
mission  from  the  Father,  of  his  crucifixion  and 
exaltation  from  the  earth,  of  the  reward  of  be- 
lievers, of  the  excellency  of  truth,  of  spiritual  li- 
berty and  relations,  who  are  the  sons  of  Abraham, 
and  who  the  children  of  the  devil,  of  his  own 
eternal  generation,  of  the  desire  of  Abraham  to  see 
his  day.  In  which  sermon  he  continued,  adding 
still  new  excellencies,  and  confuting  their  malicious 
and  vainer  calumnies,  till  they,  that  they  might 
also  confute  him,  '  took  up  stones  to  cast  at  him.' 
But  he  '  went  out  of  the  temple,  going  through  the 
midst  of  ihem,  and  so  passed  by. 

21.  But  in  his  passage  he  met  a  man  who  had 
l)een  born  blind;  and  after  he  had  discoursed  cur- 
sorily of  the  cause  of  that  blindness,  it  being  a  mir 
sery  not  sent  as  a  punishment  to  '  his  own  or  his 
parents'  sin,'  but  as  an  occasion  to  make  public 
'  the  glory  of  God  ;'  he,  to  manifest  that  himself 
was  '  the  light  of  the  world'  in  all  senses,  said  it 
now,  and  proved  il  l)y  a  miracle;  for,  sitting  down. 


JESbSS    I'REACHINCi.  107 

•  he  made  clay  of  spittle,'  und  '  anointing  the  eyes 
of  the  blind  man,' bid  him  '  tio  uash  in  Siloain:' 
which  was  a  pool  of  limpid  water  \\lii(h  (rod  sent 
at  the  prayer  of  Isaiah  the  prophet,  a  little  before 
his  death,  to  satisfy  the  necessity  of  his  people, 
oppressed  with  thirst  and  a  strict  siege;  and  it 
stood  at  the  foot  of  the  Mount  Sion,  and  gave  its 
water  at  first  by  returns  and  periods,  always  to  the 
Jews,  but  not  to  the  enemies  :'  and  those  inter- 
mitted springings  were  still  continued,  but  only  a 
pool  was  made  from  the  frequent  effluxes.  The 
blind  man  '  went  and  washed,  and  returned  see- 
ing ;'  and  was  incessantly  vexed  by  the  Pharisees, 
to  tell  them  the  manner  and  circumstances  of  the 
cure.  And  when  the  man  had  averred  the  truth, 
and  named  his  physician,  jjiving  him  a  pious  and 
charitable  testimony,  the  Pharisees,  because  they 
could  not  force  him  to  disavow  his  good  opinion  of 
Jesus, '  cast  him  out  of  the  synagogue.'  But  Jesus 
meeting  him  received  him  into  the  church,  told 
him  he  was  Christ ;  and  the  man  became  again 
enlightened,  and  lie  believed, and  worshipped.  But 
the  Pharisees  blasphemed  :  for  such  was  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  divine  mysteries,  that  the  l)lind 
Khould  see,  and  they  which  think  they  see  clearly 
should  become  blind,  because  they  had  iiot  the  excuse 
of  ignorance  to  lessen  or  take  oft"  the  sin,  but  in  the 
midst  of  light  they  shut  their  eyes,  and  doted  upon 
darkness ;  and  '  therefore  did  their  sin  remain.' 

2?.  But  Jesus  continued  his  sermon  among  the 
Pharisees,  insinuating  reprehensions  in  his  dog- 
matical discourses,  which  like  light  shined  and 
discovered  error:  lor  by  discoursing,  "  the  proper- 

•  Kphiphan.  He  ^'ita  ct  Intcritu  Prophet,  c  ?• 


108  THE    THIRD    VEAR    OF 

ties  of  a  good  shepherd,  and  the  lawful  way  of 
intromission,  he  proved  them  to  be  '  thieves  and 
robbers,'  because  they  refused  to  '  enter  in  by  Jesus,' 
who  is  '  the  door  of  the  sheep:'  and  upon  the  same 
ground  reproved  all  those  false  Christs  which  be- 
fore him  usurped  the  title  of  Messias  ;  and  proved 
his  own  vocation  and  office  by  an  argument  which 
no  other  shepherd  would  use,  because  he  '  laid 
down  his  life  for  his  sheep.'  Others  would  take 
the  fleece,  and  eat  the  flesh  ;  but  none  but  liimself 
would  die  for  his  sheep:  but  he  would  first  die, 
and  then  gather  his  sheep  together  into  one  fold, 
(intimating  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles.)  To  which 
purpose  he  was  '  enabled  by  his  Father  to  lay 
down  his  life,  and  to  take  it  up  :'  and  had  also  en- 
deared them  to  his  Father,  that  they  should  be 
*  preserved  unto  eternal  life;  and  no  power  should 
be  able  to  take  them  out  of  his  hand,  or  the  hand 
of  his  Father:'  for,  because  Jesus  was  '  united  to 
the  Father,'  the  Father's  care  preserved  the  Son's 
flocks." 

23.  But  the  Jews,  to  requite  him  for  his  so  divine 
sermons,  betook  themselves  to  their  old  argument; 
'  they  took  up  stones  again  to  cast  at  him,'  pre- 
tending he  had  blasphemed.  But  Jesus  proved  it 
to  be  no  blasphemy  to  call  himself  the  '  Son  of 
God,'  because  they  to  whom  the  word  of  God  came, 
are  in  Scripture  called  gods.  But  nothing  could 
satisfy  them,  whose  temporal  interest  was  con- 
cerned, not  to  consent  to  such  doctrine  which 
would  save  their  souls  by  ruining  their  temporal 
concernments.  But  when  '  they  sought  again  to 
take  him,  Jesus  escaped  out  of  their  hands,  and 
went  away  beyond  Jordan,  where  John  at  first  bap- 
tized ;  which  gave  the  people  occasion  to   remern- 


JESts's    PHEACHINU.  109 

her  ihal  '  Jolin  did  no  miracle,  but  this  man  does 
many ;'  and  John,  whom  all  men  did  revere  and 
hij^hly  account  for  his  office  and  sanctity,  gave  tes- 
timony to  Jesus:  'and  many  believed  on  him 
there.' 

"24.  After  this,  Jesus  knowing  that  '  the  harvest 
was  great,  and  as  yet  tiie  labourers  had  Been  few, 
sent  out  seventy-two  of  liis  disciples,  with  the  like 
commission  as  formerly  the  twelve  apostles,  that 
ihey  might  'go  before  to  those  places  whither  him- 
self meant  to  come.  Of  which  number  were  the 
seven,  whom  afterwards  the  apostles  set  over  the 
widows,  and  Matthias,  Mark,  and  some  say  Luke, 
Justus,  Barnabas,  Appelles,  Rufus,  Niger,  Cephas, 
(not  Peter,)  Thaddaeus,  Aristion,  and  John.  The 
rest  of  the  names  could  not  be  recovered  by  the 
best  diligence  of  Eusebius  and  Epiphanius.'  But 
when  they  returned  from  their  journey  they  rejoiced 
g^reatly  in  the  legation  and  power:  and  Jesus  also 
rejoiced  in  spirit,  giving  glory  to  God,  that  he  had 
made  his  revelations  to  babes  and  the  more  imper- 
fect persons  ;  like  the  lowest  valleys,  which  receive 
from  heaven  the  greatest  floods  of  rain  and  bless- 
ings, and  stand  thick  with  corn  and  flowers,  when 
the  mountains  are  unfruitful  in  their  height  and 
greatness. 

'26.  And  now  a  doctor  of  the  law  came  to 
Jesus,  asking  him  a  question  of  the  greatest 
consideration  that  a  wise  man  could  ask,  or  a 
prophet  answer :  '  Master,  what  shall  I  do  to 
inherit  eternal  life  ?'  Jesus  referred  him  to  the 
Scri|)tures,  and  declared  the  way  to  heaven  to  be 
this  only,  'To  love  the  Lord  with  all  our  powers 

'  Kphiphan.  Pan.  lib.  i.  torn.  1  ;  E'.useb.  lib.  i.  c.  12;  PapiM 
apud  Euscb.  lib.  iii.  c.  33. 


IIQ  THE    THIfil)    YEAR    oF 

and  faculties,  and  our  neij^hbour  as  ourself.'  But 
when  the  lawyer,  being  captious,  made  a  scruple  in 
a  smooth  rush,  asking  what  is  meant  by  '  neighbour; 
Jesus  told  him  by  a  parable  of  a  traveller  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  robbers,  and  neglected  by  a  priest 
and  by  a  levite,  but  relieved  by  a  Samaritan,  that 
no  distance  of  country  or  religion  destroys  the  rela- 
tion of  neighbourhood  ;  but  every  person  with 
whom  we  converse  in  peace  and  charity,  is  that 
neighbour  whom  we  are  to  love  as  ourselves. 

26.  Jesus  having  departed  from  Jerusalem  upon 
the  fore-mentioned  danger,  came  to  a  village  called 
Bethany ;  where  Martha,  making  great  and  busy 
preparation  for  his  entertainment,  to  express  her 
joy  and  her  affections  to  his  person,  desired  Jesus 
to  dismiss  her  sister  INlary  from  his  feet,  who  sat 
there,  feasting  herself  with  the  viands  and  sweet- 
nesses of  his  doctrine,  incurious  of  the  provisions 
for  entertainment.  But  Jesus  commended  her 
choice ;  and  though  he  did  not  expressly  disrepute 
Martha's  civility,  yet  he  preferred  Mary's  religion 
and  sanctity  of  affections.  In  this  time  (because 
'  the  night  drew  on  in  which  no  man  could 
work,')  Jesus  hastened  to  do  his  Father's  busi- 
ness, and  to  pour  out  the  whole  cataracts  of 
holy  lessons ;  like  the  fruitful  Nilus,  swelling 
over  the  banks,  and  filling  all  the  trenches,  to 
make  a  plenty  of  corn  and  fruits,  great  as  the  in- 
undation. Jesus  therefore  teaches  his  disciples 
"  that  form  of  prayer  the  second  time,  which  we 
call  the  Lord's  Prayer :  teaches  them  assiduity 
and  indefatigable  importunity  in  prayer,  by  a  pa- 
rable of  an  importunate  neighbour  borrowing  loaves 
at  midnight,  and  a  troublesome  widow,  who  forced 
an  unjust  judge  to  do  her  right  by  her  clamorous 


Jl.SLS  j    HULACHING.  1  1  1 

and  hourly  luklresses;  encourages  them  to  pray, 
by  consideration  of  the  divine  goodness  and  fa- 
therly affection,  far  more  indulgent  to  his  sors 
than  natural  fathers  are  to  their  dearest  issue ;  and 
adds  a  gracious  promise  of  success  to  them  that 
pray.  He  reproves  pharisaical  ostentation ;  arms 
his  disciples  against  the  fear  of  men  ant!  the  terrors 
of  persecution,  which  can  arrive  but  to  the  inconi- 
modilies  of  the  body;  teaches  the  fear  of  God, 
who  is  Lord  of  the  whole  man,  and  can  accurse  the 
soul  as  well  as  punish  the  body.  He  refuses  to 
divide  the  inheritance  between  two  brethren,  as  not 
having  competent  power  to  become  lord  in  tem- 
poral jurisdictions.  He  preaches  against  covetous- 
ness,  and  the  placing  felicities  in  worldly  posses- 
sions, by  a  parable  of  a  rich  man,  whose  riches 
were  two  big  for  his  barns,  and  big  enough  for  his 
soul,  and  he  ran  over  into  voluptuousness,  and  stu- 
j)id  complacencies  in  his  perishing  goods;  he  was 
snatched  from  their  possession,  and  his  soul  taken 
from  him  in  the  violence  of  a  rapid  and  hasty  sick- 
ness, in  the  space  of  one  night.  Discourses  of  di- 
vine Providence  and  care  over  us  all,  and  descend- 
ing even  as  low  as  grass.  He  exhorts  to  alms- 
deeds,  to  watchfulness,  and  preparation  against  the 
sudden  and  unexpected  coming  of  our  Lord  to 
judgment,  or  the  arrest  of  death  ;  tells  the  offices 
and  sedulity  of  the  clergy,  under  the  apologue  of 
stewards  and  governors  of  their  lords'  houses; 
leaches  them  gentleness  and  sobriety,  and  not  to 
do  evil  upon  confidence  of  their  Lord's  absence 
and  delay ;  and  teaches  the  [)eople  even  of  them- 
selves to  judge  what  is  right  concerning  the  signs 
of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man.      And  the  end 


112  THE    THinu    VhAR    OF 

of  all  these  discourses  was,  that  all  men  should  re- 
pent, and  live  good  lives,  and  be  saved." 

27.  At  this  sermon  '  there  were  present  some  that 
told  him  of  the  Galileans,  whose  blood  Pilate  min- 
gled with  their  sacrifices.*  For  the  Galileans  were 
a  sort  of  jicople  that  taught  it  to  be  unlawful  to 
pay  tribute  to  strangers,  or  to  pray  for  the  Romans  ; 
and  because  the  Jews  did  both,  they  refused  to 
communicate  in  tiieir  sacred  rites,  and  would  sacri- 
fice apart;  at  which  solemnity,  when  Pilate  the 
Roman  deputy  had  apprehended  many  of  them, 
he  caused  them  all  to  be  slain,  making  them  to 
die  upon  the  same  altars.  These  were  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Judaea,  but  of  the  same  opinion  with  those 
who  taught  in  Galilee,  from  whence  the  sect  had 
its  appellative.  But  to  the  story:  Jesus  made  re- 
ply, that  these  external  accidents,  though  they  be 
sad  and  calamitous,  yet  they  are  no  arguments  of 
condemnation  against  the  persons  of  the  men,  to 
convince  them  of  a  greater  guilt  than  others,  upon 
whom  no  such  visible  signatures  have  been  im- 
printed. The  purpose  of  such  chances  is,  that  we 
sliould  *  repent,  lest  we  perish'  in  the  like  judg- 
ment. 

28.  About  this  time  a  certain  ruler  of  the  syna- 
gogue renewed  the  old  question  about  the  observa- 
tion of  the  sabbath;  repining  at  Jesus  that  he  cured 
'  a  woman  that  was  crooked,  loosing  her  from  her 
infirmity,  with  which  she  had  been  afl3icted  eigh- 
teen years.'  But  Jesus  made  the  man  ashamed  by 
an  argument  from  their  own  practice,  who  them- 
selves '  loose  an  ox  from  the  stall  on  the  sabbath, 
and  lead  him  to  watering.  And  by  the  same  ar- 
gument he  also  stopped  the  mouths  of  the  Scribea 


JKSLS  S    PRK  VClIINii  1  13 

and  Pharisees,  wliicli  were  open  upon  liim  for 
curing'  an  hydropic  person  upon  the  sabbath. 
For  Jesus,  that  he  mi^ht  <h'avv  off  and  separate 
Christianity  from  the  yoke  of  ceremonies,  by  abo- 
lishing and  taking  off  the  strictest  Mosaical  rites, 
chose  to  do  very  many  of  his  miracles  upon  the 
sahbath,  that  lie  might  do  the  work  of  abrogation 
and  institution  both  at  once:  not  much  unlike  the 
sabbatical  pool  in  Judrea,  which  was  dry  six  days, 
but  gushed  out  in  a  full  stream  upon  the  sab- 
bath.' For  though  upon  all  days  Christ  was  ope- 
rative and  miraculous,  yet  many  reasons  did  concur 
and  determine  him  to  a  more  frequent  working 
upon  those  days  of  public  ceremony  and  convention 
But  going  forth  from  thence  he  went  up  and  down 
the  cities  of  Galilee,  re-enforcing  the  same  doctrine 
he  had  formerly  taught  them,  and  daily  adding 
new  [)recepts  and  cautions  and  prudent  insinua- 
tions :  "  advertising  of  the  multitudes  of  them 
that  perish,  and  tiie  paucity  of  them  that  shall  be 
saved,  and  tiiat  we  should  strive  '  to  enter  in  at 
the  strait  gate ;'  that  the  way  to  destruction  is 
broad  and  plausible,  the  way  to  heaven  nice  and 
austere,  'and  few  there  be  that  find  it:*  teaches 
them  modesty  at  feasts  and  entertainments  of  the 
poor;  discourses  of  the  many  excuses  and  unwil- 
lingnesses of  persons  who  were  invited  to  tlie  feast 
of  the  kingdom,  lh«;  refreshments  of  the  gospel ;  and 
tacitly  insinuates  tlie  rejection  of  the  Jews,  who 
were  the  first  invited,  and  the  calling  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, who  were  the  persons  called  in  from  the  high- 
ways and  hedges.  He  reprehends  Herod  for  his 
subtlety  and  design  to  kill  him  ;  prophesies  that  he 

'  Jo<iejili.  de  Bello  Jud.lib.  vii.  c.  '24. 
VOL.     II.  d>i 


114  IHi:     IHIRIJ    YTAR    Of 

should  die  at  Jerusalem ;  and  intimates  great  sad- 
nesses future  to  them  for  neglecting-  this  their  day 
of  visitation,  and  for  '  killing  the  prophets  and  the 
messengers  sent  from  God.'  " 

29.  It  now  grew  towards  winter,  and  the  Jews' 
feast  of  dedication  was  at  hand;  therefore  Jesus 
went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast,  where  he  preach- 
ed in  Solomon's  porch,  which  part  of  tiie  temple 
stood  entire  from  the  first  ruins ;  and  the  end  of 
his  sermon  was,  that  the  Jews  had  like  to  have 
stoned  him.  But  retiring  from  thence  he  went 
beyond  Jordan,  where  he  taught  the  people  in  a 
most  elegant  and  persuasive  parable,  concerning 
"  the  mercy  of  God  in  accepting  penitents,  in  the 
parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son  returning  :  discourses 
of  the  design  of  the  Messias  coming  into  the  world, 
to  recover  erring  persons  from  their  sin  and  dan- 
ger, in  the  apologues  of  the  lost  sheep,  and  groat; 
and  under  the  representment  of  an  unjust,  but 
prudent  steward,  he  taught  us  so  to  employ  our  pre- 
sent opportunities  and  estates,  by  laying  them  out 
in  acts  of  mercy  and  religion,  that  when  our  souls 
shall  be  dismissed  from  the  stewardship  and  cus- 
tody of  our  body,  we  '  may  be  entertained  in  ever- 
lasting habitations.'  He  instructed  the  Pharisees 
in  the  question  of  divorces,  limiting  the  permis- 
sions of  separations  to  the  only  cause  of  fornica- 
tion :  preferreth  holy  celibate  before  the  estate  of 
marriage,  in  them  to  whom  the  gift  of  continency 
is  given,  in  order  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  He 
telleth  a  story  or  a  parable,  (for  which  is  uncer- 
tain,) of  a  rich  man  (whom  Euthymius,  out  of  the 
tradition  of  the  Hebrews,  nameth  Nymensis)  and 
liazarus  :  the  first  a  voluptuous  person,  and  uncha- 
ritable; the  other  pious,  afflicted,  sick,  and  a  beg- 


JKSIS'S    I'lll'ACHING.  115 

gar:  the  first  died,  and  went  to  hell ;  the  second 
to  -Abraham's  bosom.  God  so  ordering  the  dis- 
pensation of  good  things,  that  we  cannot  easily 
enjoy  two  heavens;  nor  shall  the  infelicities  of  our 
lives,  if  we  be  pions,  end  otherwise  than  in  a  be- 
atified condition.  The  epilogue  of  which  story  dis- 
covered this  truth  also,  that  the  ordinary  means 
of  salvation  are  the  express  revelations  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  the  ministries  of  God's  appointment: 
and  whosoever  neglects  these,  shall  not  be  sup- 
plied with  means  extraordinary  ;  or  if  he  were, 
they  would  be  totally  ineffectual, 

30.  And  still  the  peojde  drew  water  from  the 
fountains  of  our  Saviour,  which  streamed  out  in 
a  full  and  continual  emanation.  For  adding  wave 
to  wave,  '  line  to  line,  precept  upon  precept,'  he 
"  reproved  the  fastidiousness  of  the  Pharisee,  that 
.came  with  eucharist  to  God,  and  contempt  to  his 
brother;  and  comme;ide(l  the  humility  of  the 
publican's  address,  who  came  deploring  his  sins, 
and  with  modesty  and  penance  and  importunity 
begged  and  obtained  a  mercy.  Then  he  laid 
hands  upon  certain  young  children,  and  gave  them 
benediction,  charging  his  apostles  to  admit  in- 
fants to  him,  because  to  them  in  person,  and  to 
such  in  emblem  and  signification,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  does  appertain.  He  instructs  a  young  man 
in  the  ways  and  counsels  of  perfection,  besides  the 
observation  of  precepts,  by  heroical  renunciations 
and  acts  of  munificent  charity."  Which  discourse 
because  it  alighted  upon  an  indisposed  and  an  un- 
fortunate subject,  ('  for  the  young  man  was  very 
rich,')  Jesus  discourses  "  how  hard  it  is  for  a  rich 
man  to  be  saved  ;  but  he  expounds  himself  to  mean, 
'they  that  trust   in    riches:'    and    however   it  is  a 


116       THE    TUIRD    YCAIJ    Ol'    .lESL  »  S    PREACHING 

matter  of  so  great  temptation,  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  escape ;  yet  '  with  God  nothing  is  im- 
possible.' But  when  the  apostles  heard  the  Mas- 
ter bidding  the  young  man  '  sell  all,  and  give  to 
the  poor,  and  follow  him,'  and  for  his  reward  pro- 
mised him  *a  heavenly  treasure;'  Peter,  in  the 
name  of  the  rest,  began  to  think  that  this  was  their 
case,  and  the  promise  also  might  concern  them  ; 
and  asking  him  this  question.  What  shall  we  have, 
who  have  forsaken  all,  and  followed  thee  ?  Jesus 
answered,  that  they  should  '  sit  upon  twelve 
thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.' 

31.  And  Jesus  extended  this  mercy  to  every  dis- 
ciple that  should  *  forsake  either  house,  or  wife,  or 
children,  or  any  thing,  for  his  sake  and  the  gospel's ;' 
and  that  they  '  should  receive  a  hundretl  fold  in 
this  life,'  by  way  of  comfort  and  equivalency, 
'  and  in  the  world  to  come'  thousands  of  glories 
and  possessions,  in  fruition  and  redundancy.  For 
'  they  that  are  last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first 
shall  be  last :'  and  the  despised  people  of  this 
world  shall  reign  like  kings,  and  contempt  it- 
self shall  swell  up  into  glory,  and  poverty  into 
an  eternal  satisfaction.  And  these  rewards  shall 
not  be  accounted  according  to  the  privileges  of  na- 
tions, or  priority  of  vocation,  but  readiness  of  mind 
and  obedience  and  sedulity  of  operation  after 
calling.  AVhich  Jesus  taught  his  disciples  in  the 
parable  of  the  labourers  in  the  vineyard,  to  whom 
the  master  gave  the  same  reward,  though  the  times 
of  their  working  were  different;  as  their  calling 
and  employment  had  determined  the  opportunity 
of  their  labours. 


OF    SCANDAl.  1  17 

DISCOURSE  XVII. 

Of  Scandal ;  or,  giving  and  taking  Offence. 

1.  A  SAD  curse  being  threatened  in  the  gospel  to 
them  who  oflend  any  of  Christ's  little  ones;  that 
is,  such  as  are  novices  and  babes  in  Christianity,  it 
concerns  us  to  learn  our  duty  and  perform  it,  that 
we  may  avoid  the  curse:  for,  'Woe  to  all  them  by 
whom  offences  come.' '  And  although  the  duty  is 
so  plainly  exj)licated  and  represented  in  gloss  and 
case  by  the  several  commentaries  of  St.  Paul  upon 
this  menace  of  our  blessed  Saviour;  yet  because 
our  English  word,  offence,' which  is  commonly  used 
in  this  question  of  scandal,  is  so  large  and  equivo- 
cal that  it  hath  made  many  pretences,  and  in- 
tricated  this  article  to  some  inconvenience,  it  is 
not  without  good  purpose  to  draw  into  one  body 
those  propositions  w  hich  the  masters  of  spiritual  life 
have  described  in  the  managing  of  this  question. 

2.  First,  By  whatsoever  we  do  our  duty  to  God, 
we  cannot  directly  do  offence,  or  give  scandal  to 
our  brother;  because  in  such  cases  where  God  hatl) 
obliged  us,  he  hath  also  obliged  himself  to  recon- 
cile our  duty  to  the  designs  of  God,  to  the  utility 
of  souls,  and  the  ends  of  charity.  And  this  proj)o- 
sition  is  to  be  extended  to  our  obedience  to  the 
lawful  constitutions  of  our  competent  superiors: 
in  which  cases  we  are  to  look  upon  the  command- 
ment, and  leave  the  accidental  events  to  the  disjK)- 
sition  of  that  Providence  who  reconciles  dissonances 
in  nature,  and  concentres  all  the  variety  of  acci- 
dents in  his  own  glory.   And  whosoever  is  offended 

'  Matt>L  xviii.  7-  '   Rom.  xiv.  ;   I  Cor.  viii. ;  OaL  ii. 


118  OF    SCANDAL 

at  me  for  obeying  God  or  Gods  vicegerent,  is 
offended  at  me  for  doing  my  duty:  and  in  this 
there  is  no  more  dispute,  but  whether  I  shall  dis- 
please God,  or  my  peevish  neighbour.  These  are 
such  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  complains  of  under 
other  representments :  they  think  it  strange  we 
run  not  into  the  same  excess  of  riot;  their  eye  is 
evil,  because  their  Master's  eye  is  good ;  and  the 
abounding  of  God's  grace  also  may  become  to 
them  an  occasion  of  falling,  and  the  long-suffering 
of  God  tlie  encouragement  to  sin.  In  this  there  is 
no  difficulty  ;  for  in  what  case  soever  we  are  bound 
to  obey  God  or  man,  in  that  case  and  in  that  con- 
junction of  circumstances  we  have  nothing  per- 
mitted to  our  choice,  and  have  no  authority  to  re- 
mit of  the  right  of  God  or  our  superior:  and  to 
comply  with  our  neighbour  in  such  questions,  be- 
sides that  it  cannot  serve  any  purposes  of  piety,  if 
it  declines  from  duty  in  any  instance,  it  is  like 
giving  alms  out  of  the  portion  of  orphans,  or  build- 
ing hospitals  with  the  money  and  spoils  of  sacri- 
lege. It  is  pusillanimity,  or  hypocrisy,  or  a  deny- 
ing to  confess  Christ  before  men,  to  comply  with 
any  man,  and  to  offend  God,  or  omit  a  duty.  What- 
soever is  necessary  to  be  done,  and  is  ade  so  by 
God,  no  weakness  or  peevishness  of  mai.  an  make 
necessary  not  to  be  done;  for  the  matter  of  scandal 
is  a  duty  beneath  the  prime  obligations  of  re- 
ligion. 

3.  Secondly,  But  every  thing  which  is  used  in 
religion  is  not  matter  of  precise  duty  ;  but  there 
are  some  things  which  indeed  are  pious  and  religi- 
ous, but  dispensable,  voluntary,  and  commutable: 
such  as  are  voluntary  fasts,  exterior  acts  of  disci- 
pline and  mortification  not  enjoined,  great  degreet 


l>F    SCANDAL.  119 

of  exterior  worship,  prostration,  long  prayers,  vigils. 
And  in  these  things,  although  there  is  not  directly 
a  matter  of  scandal,  yet  there  may  be  some  pruden- 
tial considerations  in  order  to  charity  and  edifica- 
tion. By  pious  actions  I  mean,  either  particular 
pursuances  of  a  general  duty,  which  are  uncom- 
manded  in  the  instance,  such  as  are  the  minutes 
and  expresses  of  alms ;  or  else  they  are  com- 
mended, but  in  the  whole  kind  of  them  unenjoined. 
such  as  divines  call  the  counsels  of  perfection.  Ii\ 
bolli  tliese  cases  a  man  cannot  be  scandalous :  for 
the  man  doing  in  charity  and  the  love  of  God  such 
actions  whicli  are  aptly  expressive  of  love,  the 
man,  I  say,  is  not  uncharitable  in  his  purposes ; 
and  the  actions  themselves  being  either  attempts 
or  proceedings  toward  perfection,  or  else  actions  of 
direct  duty,  are  as  innocent  in  their  productions  as 
in  themselves,  and  therefore,  without  the  malice  of 
the  recipient,  cannot  induce  him  into  sin  ;  and  no- 
thing else  is  scandal :  to  do  any  pious  act  proceeds 
from  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  and  to  give  scandal,  from 
the  spirit  of  malice  or  indiscretion  ;  and  therefore 
a  pious  action,  whose  fountain  is  love  and  wisdom, 
cannot  end  in  uncharitableness  or  imprudence. 
But  because  when  any  man  is  offended  at  what  I 
esteem  piety,  there  is  a  question  whether  the  action 
be  pious  or  no;  therefore  it  concerns  him  that 
works,  to  take  care  that  his  action  be  either  an  act 
of  duty,  though  not  determined  to  a  certain  parti- 
cular; or  else  be  something  counselled  in  Scrip- 
ture, or  practised  by  a  holy  person  there  recorded, 
and  nowhere  reproved  ;  or  a  practice  warranted 
by  such  precedents  which  modest,  prudent,  and 
religious  persons  account  a  sufficient  inducement  of 
such  particulars  :  for  he  that  proceeds  upon  such 


1:^0  OF    SCANDAL. 

principles  derives  the  warrant  o("  his  actions  from 
l»eginnings  which  secure  the  particular,  and  quits 
the  scandal. 

4.  This,  I  say,  is  a  security  against  the  uncharit- 
ahleness  and  the  sin  of  scandal ;  because  a  zeal  ot 
doing  pious  actions  is  a  zeal  according  to  God ; 
but  it  is  not  always  a  security  against  the  indiscre- 
tion of  the  scandal.  He  that  reproves  a  foolish 
person  in  such  circumstances  that  provoke  him,  or 
make  him  imprudent  or  blasphemous,  does  not 
give  scandal,  and  brings  no  sin  upon  himself, 
though  he  occasioned  it  in  the  other.  But  if  it 
was  probable  such  effects  should  be  consequent  to 
the  reprehension,  his  zeal  was  imprudent  and  rash  : 
but  so  long  as  it  was  zeal  for  God,  and  in  its  own 
matter  lawful,  it  could  not  be  an  active  or  guilty 
scandal.  But  if  it  be  no  zeal,  and  be  a  design  to 
entrap  a  man's  unwariness  or  passion  or  shame,  and 
to  disgrace  the  man,  by  that  means  or  any  ether  to 
make  him  sin,  then  it  is  directly  the  offending  of 
our  brother.  They  that  preached  Christ  out  of 
envy  intended  to  do  offence  to  the  apostles  :  but 
because  they  were  impregnable,  the  sin  rested  in 
their  own  bosom,  and  God  wrought  his  own  ends 
by  it.  And  in  this  sense  they  are  scandalous  per- 
sons who  fast  for  strife,  who  pray  for  rebellion,  who 
entice  simple  persons  into  the  snare  by  colours  of 
religion.  Those  very  exterior  acts  of  piety  become 
an  offence,  because  they  are  done  to  evil  purposes,  to 
abuse  proselytes,  and  to  draw  away  disciples  after 
them,  and  make  them  love  the  sin,  and  march 
under  so  splendid  and  fair  colours.  They  who  out 
of  strictness  and  severity  of  persuasion  represent  the 
conditions  of  the  gospel  alike  to  every  person  ;  that 
is,  nicer  than  Christ  describ -d  them  in  all  circum- 


«tF    SCANOAI.  12! 

stances,  and  deny  such  liberties  of  exterior  desires 
and  complacency  which  may  be  reasonably  permitted 
to  some  men,  do  very  indiscreetly,  and  may  occa- 
sion the  alienation  of  some  men's  minds  from  the 
entertainments  of  relitjion.  But  this  being  acci- 
dental to  the  thing  itself,  and  to  the  purpose  of  the 
man,  is  not  the  sin  of  scandal;  but  it  is  the  indis- 
cretion of  scandal,  if  by  such  means  he  divorces 
any  man's  mind  from  the  cohabitation  and  unions 
of  religion.  And  yet  if  the  purpose  of  the  man  be 
to  affright  weaker  and  nnwise  persons,  it  is  a  direct 
scandal,  and  one  of  those  ways  which  the  devil 
uses  towards  the  peopling  of  his  kingdom :  it  is  a 
plain  laying  of  a  snare  to  entrap  feeble  and  unin- 
structed  souls, 

5.  But  if  the  pions  action  have  formerly  joined 
with  any  thing  that  is  truly  criminal,  with  idolatry, 
with  superstition,  with  impious  customs  or  impure 
rites,  and  by  retaining  the  piety  I  give  cause  to 
my  weak  brother  to  think  I  approve  of  the  old  ap- 
pendage, and  by  my  reputation  invite  him  to 
swallow  the  whole  action  without  discerning ;  the 
case  is  altered  ;  I  am  to  omit  that  pious  action,  il 
it  be  not  under  command,  until  I  have  acquitted  it 
from  the  suspicion  of  evil  company.  But  when  I 
have  done  what  in  prudence  I  guess  sufficient  to 
thaw  the  frost  of  jealousy,  and  to  separate  those 
dissonances  which  formerly  seemed  united,  I  have 
done  my  duty  of  charity,  by  endeavouring  to  free 
my  brother  from  the  .snare;  and  I  have  done  what 
in  Cliristian  prudence  I  was  obliged,  w  hen  I  have 
protested  against  the  apjiendant  crime.  If  after- 
wards the  same  person  shall  entertain  the  crin>e 
upon  pretence  of  my  example,  who  have  plainly 
disavowed  it;  he  lavs  the  snare  for  himself,  and  w 


V22  OF    SCANDAL. 

glad  of  lite  pretence,  or  will  in  spile  enter  into  the 
net,  that  he  might  think  it  reasonable  to  rail  at  me, 
I  may  not.  with  Christian  charily  or  prudence,  wear 
the  picture  of  our  blessed  Lord  in  rings  or  medals, 
though  witli  great  aflFection  and  designs  of  doing 
him  all  the  honour  that  I  can,  if  by  such  pictures 
I  invite  persons,  apt  more  to  follow  me  than  to  un- 
derstand me,  to  give  divine  honour  to  a  picture  : 
but  when  I  have  declared  my  haired  of  supersti- 
tious worshippings,  and  given  my  brother  warn- 
ing of  the  snare  which  his  own  mistake  or  the 
devil's  malice  was  preparing  for  him,  I  may  then 
without  danger  signify  my  piety  and  affections  in 
any  civil  representments  which  are  not  against 
God's  law,  or  the  customs  of  the  church,  or  the 
analogy  of  fail)).  And  there  needs  no  other  reason 
to  be  given  for  this  rule,  than  that  there  is  no  rea- 
son to  be  given  against  it.  If  the  nature  of  the 
thing  be  innocent,  and  the  purpose  of  the  man  be 
pious,  and  he  halh  used  his  moral  industry  to 
secure  his  brother  against  accidental  mischances 
and  abuses,  his  duty  in  this  particular  can  have 
no  more  parts  and  instances. 

6.  But  it  is  too  crude  an  assertion,  to  affirm  in- 
definitely, that  whatsoever  hath  been  abused  to  evil 
or  superstious  purposes,  must  presently  be  abjured, 
and  never  entertained  for  fear  of  scandal ;  for  ii  is 
certain  that  the  best  things  have  been  most  abused. 
Have  not  some  persons  used  certain  verses  of  the 
Psalter  as  an  antitode  against  the  tooth-ache;  and 
carried  the  blessed  sacramentin  pendents  about  their 
necks  as  a  charm  to  countermand  witches ;  and  St. 
John's  gospel  as  a  spell  against  wild  beasts  and  wilder 
untamed  spirits  ?  Confession  of  sins  to  the  minis- 
ters of  religion  hath  been   made  an  instrument  tp 


OF    SCANDAL  123 

gel  ve  base  ends ;  and  so  indeed  hath  all  religion 
been  abused  :  and  some  persons  have  been  so 
receptive  of  scandal,  that  they  suspected  all  reli- 
gion to  be  a  mere  stratagem,  because  they  have 
observed  very  many  men  have  used  it  so.  For 
some  natures  are  like  sponges  or  sugar,  whose  ut- 
most verge  if  you  dip  in  wine,  it  drowns  itself  by 
the  moisture  it  sucks  up,  and  is  drenched  all  over, 
receiving  its  alteration  from  within  :  its  own  nature 
did  tile  mischief,  and  plucks  on  its  own  dissolution. 
And  these  men  are  greedy  to  receive  a  scandal, 
and  when  it  is  presented  bat  in  small  instances, 
they  suck  it  up  to  the  dissolution  of  their  whole 
religion  ;  being  glad  of  a  quarrel,  that  their  impie- 
ties may  not  want  all  excuse.  But  yet  it  is  cer- 
tainly very  tmreasonable  to  reject  excellent  things 
because  they  have  been  abused  ;  as  if  separable 
accidents  had  altered  natures  and  essences  ;  or  that 
they  resolve  never  to  forgive  the  duties,  for  having 
once  fallen  into  tlie  hands  of  unskilful  or  malicious 
persons.  Hezekiah  took  away  the  brazen  serpent, 
because  the  people  abused  it  to  idolatry ;  but  the 
serpent  liad  long  before  lost  its  use:  and  yet,  if  the 
people  had  not  been  a  peevish  and  refractory  and 
superstitious  people,  in  whose  nature  it  was  to  take 
all  occasions  of  superetition  ;  and  further  yet,  if 
the  taking  away  such  occasions  and  opportunities  of 
that  sin  in  special  had  not  been  most  agreeable  with 
the  designs  of  God,  in  forbidding  to  tlie  people  the 
common  use  of  all  images  in  the  second  command- 
ment, which  was  given  iheni  after  the  erection  of 
tliat  brazen  statue,  Hezekiah  possibly  would  not, 
or  at  least  had  not  been  bound  to  have  destroyed 
lliat  monument  of  an  old  story  and  a  great  bless- 
ing, but  have  sought   to   separate  the   abuse  from 


1-24  OF    SCANDAL. 

the  minds  of  men,  and  retained  the  image.  But 
in  Christianity,  when  none  of  these  circumstances 
occur,  where,  hy  the  greatness  and  plenty  of  reve- 
lations, we  are  more  fully  instructed  in  the  ways  of 
duty,  and  when  ihe  thing  itself  is  pious,  and  the 
abuse  very  separable,  it  is  infinite  disparagement 
to  us,  or  to  our  religion,  either  that  our  religion  is 
not  sufficient  to  cure  an  abuse,  or  that  we  will 
never  part  with  it,  but  we  must  un pardonably  re- 
ject a  good,  because  it  had  once  upon  it  a  crust  or 
spot  of  leprosy,  thovigh  since  it  hath  been  washed 
in  the  waters  of  reformation.  The  primitive  Chris- 
tians abstained  from  actions  of  themselves  indiffer- 
ent, which  the  unconverted  people  used,  if  those 
actions  were  symbolical,  or  adopted  into  false  reli- 
gions, or  not  well  understood  by  those  they  were 
bound  to  satisfy  :  but  when  they  had  washed  ot? 
the  accrescences  of  Gentile  superstition,  they  chose 
such  rites  which  their  neighbours  used,  and  had 
designs  not  imprudent  or  unhandsome ;  and  they 
were  glad  of  heathen  temples,  to  celebrate  the 
Christian  rites  in  them;  and  they  made  no  other 
change,  but  that  they  ejected  the  devil,  and  invited 
their  Lord  into  the  possession. 

7.  Thirdly,  In  things  merely  indifferent,  whose 
practice  is  not  limited  by  command,  nor  their  na- 
ture heightened  by  an  appendant  piety,  we  must 
use  our  liberty,  so  as  may  not  offend  our  brother, 
or  lead  him  into  a  sin  directly  or  indirectly.  For 
scandal  being  directly  against  charity,  it  is  to  be 
avoided  in  the  same  measure  and  by  the  same  pro- 
j)ortions  in  which  charity  is  to  be  pursued.  Nov\ 
we  must  so  use  ourselves,  that  we  must  cut  off  a 
foot,  or  pluck  out  an  eye,  rather  than  the  one  should 
bear  us,  and  the  other  lead  us  to  sin  and  death: 


UF    SCANDAL.  1 2d 

we  mubt  ralljer  rescind  all  the  natural  and  sen- 
sual, or  dearest  invitations  to  vice,  and  deny  our- 
selves lawful  things,  tlian  that  lawful  things 
should  betray  us  to  unlawful  actions.  And  this 
rule  is  the  measure  of  charity;  our  neighbour's 
soul  ought  to  be  dearer  unto  us  tlian  any  tern- 
poral  privilege.  It  is  lawful  for  me  to  eat  herbs, 
or  fish,  and  to  observe  an  ascetic  diet;  but  if  by 
such  austerities  I  lead  others  to  u  good  opinion 
of  Monlanism,  or  the  practices  of  Pythagoras, 
or  to  believe  flesh  to  he  impure,  I  must  rather 
alter  my  diet,  than  teach  him  to  sin  by  mistaking 
me.  St.  Paul  gave  an  instance  of  eating  flesh 
sold  in  the  shambles  from  the  idol-temples.  To 
eat  it  in  the  relation  of  an  idol-sacrifice  is  a 
great  sin  ;  but  w  lien  it  is  sold  in  the  shambles,  the 
property  is  altered  to  them  that  understand  it  so. 
But  yet  even  this  Paul  would  not  do,  if  by  so 
doing  he  should  encourage  undiscerning  people  to 
eat  all  meat  conveyed  from  the  temple,  and  offered 
to  devils.  It  is  not  in  every  man's  head  to  distinguish 
formalities,  and  to  make  abstractions  of  purpose 
from  exterior  acts,  and  to  alter  their  devotions  by 
new  relations  and  respects  depending  upon  intel- 
lectual and  metaphysical  notions.  And  therefore  it 
is  not  safe  to  do  an  action  which  is  not  lawful,  but 
after  the  making  distinctions,  before  ignorant  and 
weaker  persons,  who  swallow  down  the  bole  and 
the  box  that  carries  it,  and  never  pare  their  apple, 
or  take  the  core  out.  11  I,  by  the  law  of  charity, 
must  rather  quit  my  own  goods  tiian  suft'er  my 
brother  to  perisli,  niucli  rather  must  I  quit  mv 
privilege,  and  those  superstructures  of  favour  and 
grace  which  Christ  hath  given  me  beyond  my  ne- 
cessities, than    wound   th<    spirit   and    destroy  the 


126  OF    SCA-SDAL. 

sf)ul  of  a  weak  man,  for  whom  Christ  died.  It  is 
an  inordinate  affection,  to  love  my  own  ease  and 
circumstances  of  pleasure,  before  the  soul  of  a  bro- 
ther; and  such  a  thing  are  the  privileges  of  Chris- 
tian liberty  ;  for  Christ  hath  taken  off  from  us  the 
restraints  which  God  had  laid  upon  the  Jews  in 
meat  and  holidays.  But  these  are  but  circum- 
stances of  grace  given  us  for  opportunities,  and 
cheap  instances  of  charity  :  we  should  ill  die  for 
our  brother,  who  will  not  lose  a  meal  to  prevent 
his  sin,  or  change  a  dish  to  save  his  soul.  And  if 
the  thing  be  indifferent  to  us,  yet  it  ought  not  to 
be  indifferent  to  us  whether  our  brother  live  oi 
die. 

8.  Fourthly,  And  yet  we  must  not,  to  please 
peevish  or  froward  people,  betray  our  liberty 
which  Christ  hath  given  us.  If  any  man  opposes 
the  lawfulness  and  license  of  indifferent  actions 
or  be  disturbed  at  my  using  my  privileges  inno- 
cently ;  in  the  first  case  I  am  bound  to  use  them 
still,  in  the  second  I  am  not  bound  to  quit  them 
to  please  him.  For  in  the  first  instance,  he  that 
shall  cease  to  use  his  liberty,  to  please  him  that 
says  his  liberty  is  unlawful,  encourages  him  tliat 
says  so  in  his  false  opinion,  and  by  complying 
with  him  gives  the  scandal ;  and  he  who  is  angry 
with  me  for  making  use  of  it,  is  a  person  that,  it 
may  be,  is  crept  in  to  spy  out  and  invade  my  liberty 
but  not  apt  to  be  reduced  into  sin  by  that  act  of 
mine  which  he  detests,  for  which  he  despises  me, 
and  so  makes  my  person  unapt  to  be  exemplar  to 
him.  To  be  angry  with  me  for  doing  what  Christ 
iiath  allowed  me,  and  which  is  part  of  the  liberty 
he  purchased  for  me  when  he  took  upon  himself 
the  form  of  a  servant,  is  to  judge  me,  and  to  be 


OF    SCANDAI^  127 

uncharitable  to  me ;  and  he  that  does  so  is  before- 
hand with  me,  and  upon  the  active  |>art ;  he  does 
the  scandal  to  me,  and  by  offering  to  dt  prive  me 
of  my  liberty,  he  makes  my  way  to  heaven  nar- 
rower and  more  encumbered  tlian  Christ  left  it, 
and  so  places  a  stumblinfj-stone  in  my  way  ;  I  put 
none  in  his.  And  if  such  j)eevisliness  and  discon- 
tent of  a  brotlier  engages  me  to  a  new  and  unim- 
posed  yoke,  then  it  were  in  the  power  of  my  enemy, 
or  any  malevolent  pei-son,  to  make  me  never  to 
keep  festival,  or  never  to  observe  any  private  fast, 
never  to  be  prostrate  at  my  prayers,  nor  to  do  any 
thing  but  according  to  his  leave,  and  his  humour 
shall  become  the  rule  of  my  actions ;  and  then  my 
charity  to  him  shall  be  the  greatest  uncharitable- 
ness  in  the  world  to  myself,  and  his  liberty  shall 
be  my  bondage.  Add  to  this,  that  such  complying 
and  obeying  the  peevishness  of  tliscontented  per- 
sons is  to  no  end  of  charity.  For  besides  that 
such  concessions  never  satisfy  persons  who  are  un- 
reasonably angry,  because  by  tlie  same  reason  they 
may  demand  more,  as  they  ask  this  for  which  they 
had  no  reason  at  all;  it  also  encourages  them  to 
be  peevish,  and  gives  fuel  lo  tlie  passion,  and 
feeds  the  wolf,  and  so  encourages  the  sin,  and  pre- 
vents none. 

9.  Fifthly,  For  he  only  gives  scandal,  who  in- 
duces his  brother  directly  or  collaterally  into  sin  ; 
as  appears  by  all  the  discourses  in  Scripture  guid- 
ing us  in  this  duty  ;  and  it  is  called  '  laying  a 
slumbling-block  in  our  brother's  way,  wounding 
the  conscience  of  our  weak  brother.'*  Thus  Balaam 

'  I  Cor.  viii.  10,  12  ;  Rom.  xiv.  21 ;  IMatt.  v.  20,  and  xiii. 
67  4  Mark,  xiv.  27,  ftnd  vi.3,  and  jv.  17;  Luke,  vii.'iS;  Jolin, 
xvi.  I. 


128  OF    SCANDAL. 

was  said  to  lay  a  scandal  before  the  sons  of  Israel, 
by  tempting  them  to  fornication  with  the  duugli- 
ters  of  Moab.  Every  evil  example,  or  imprudent, 
sinful,  and  unwary  deportment  is  a  scandal,  be- 
cause it  invites  others  to  do  the  like,  leading  them 
by  the  hand,  taking  off  the  strangeness  and  inso- 
lency  of  the  act,  which  deters  many  men  from 
entertaining  it  ;  and  it  gives  some  offers  of  security 
to  others,  that  ihey  shall  escape  as  we  have 
done  :  besides  that  it  is  in  the  nature  of  all 
agents,  natural  and  moral,  to  assimilate,  either 
by  proper  efficiency,  or  by  counsel  and  moral  in- 
vitements,  others  to  themselves.  But  this  is  a  di- 
rect scandal.  And  such  it  is  to  give  money  to  au 
idle  person,  who  you  know  will  be  drunk  with  it; 
or  to  invite  an  intemperate  person  to  an  opportu- 
nity of  excess,  who  desires  it  always,  but  without 
thee  wants  it.  Indirectly  and  accidentally,  but 
very  criminally  they  give  scandal,  who  introduce 
persons  into  a  state  of  life  from  whence  probably 
they  pass  into  a  state  of  sin.  So  did  the  Israelites, 
who  married  their  daughters  to  the  idolatrous  Mo- 
abites ;  and  so  do  they  who  intrust  a  pupil  to  a 
vicious  guardian :  for  although  God  can  preserve 
children  in  the  midst  of  flames  without  scorching; 
yet  if  they  singe  their  hair,  or  scorch  their  flesh, 
they  that  put  them  in  are  guilty  of  the  burning. 
And  yet  further,  if  persons  so  exposed  to  danger 
should  escape  by  miracle,  yet  they  escape  not  who 
expose  them  to  the  danger.  They  who  threw  the 
children  of  the  captivity  into  the  furnace,  were 
burnt  to  death,  though  the  children  were  not  hurt. 
And  the  very  oftering  a  person  in  our  trust  to  a 
certain  or  probable  danger,  foreseen  and  under- 
stood, is  a  likely  way  to  pass  sin  upon  the  person 


vr   SCAiNDAL.  129 

so  exposed,  but  u  certiiin  way  to  contract  it  in  our- 
selves: it  is  <liitctly  aj^ainst  cliarity  ;  for  no  man 
loves  a  sou],  unless  he  loves  its  safety  ;  and  lie  cares 
not  to  have  his  child  safe  that  throws  him  into  the 
fire.  Hither  are  to  be  reduced  all  false  doctrines 
aptly  productive  of  evil  life;  the  doctrines  are 
scandalous,  and  the  men  guilty,  if  they  understand 
the  consequents  oftheirown  propositions  :  or  if  they 
think  it  j)robable  that  persons  will  be  J^ed  by  sucli 
doctrines  into  evil  persuasions,  thoui^h  themselves 
believe  them  not  to  be  necessary  products  of  their 
opinions,  yet  the  very  publishing;  such  opinions, 
which  (of  themselves  not  beiwg  necessary,  or  other- 
wise very  ])rofituble)  are  apt  to  be  understood, 
by  weak  persons  at  leost,  to  ill  ends,  is  against 
charity,  and  the  duty  "o  owe  to  our  brother's  soul. 

10.  Sixthly,  It  i.-.  not  necessary  for  ever  to  ab- 
stain from  tilings  indifferent,  to  prevent  the  offend- 
ing of  a  brother,  but  only  till  I  have  taken  away 
that  rock  against  which  some  did  stumble,  or  have 
done  my  endeavour  t"  remove  it.  In  questions  of 
religion  it  is  lawful  to  use  primitive  and  ancient 
words,  at  which  men  have  been  weakened  and 
seemed  to  stumble,  when  the  objection  is  cleared, 
and  tiie  ill  consequents  and  suspicion  disavowed  ; 
and  it  may  be  ot  good  use,  charity,  and  edification 
to  speak  the  language  of  the  purest  ages,  although 
that  some  words  were  used  also  in  the  impurest 
ages,  and  descended  along  upon  changing  and  de- 
clining articles,  when  it  is  rightly  explicated  in 
wliat  sense  the  best  men  di<l  innocently  use  ihenj, 
and  the  same  sense  is  now  protested.  But  in 
this  case  it  concerns  prudence  to  see  that  the 
benefit  be  greater  than  the  danger.  And  the 
(iame  also  is  to  be  said  ronrcrriing  the  atlions  and 

VOL.      II  .'.1 


1,30  OF    SCANDAL. 

parts  ofChrislian  liberty:  for  if  after  I  have  re- 
moved the  urtevenness  and  objection  of  the  acci- 
dent, that  is,  if,  when  I  have  explained  my  disre- 
lish to  the  crime  which  might  possibly  be  giitht-red 
up  and  taken  into  practice  by  my  misunderstood 
example,  still  any  man  will  stumble  and  fall,   it  is 
a  resoltition  to  fall,  a  love  of  danger,  a  peevishness 
of  spirit,  R  voluntary  misunderstanding ;  it  is  not  a 
misery  in  the  man  more  than  that  it  is  his  ovvn  fault. 
And  whenevei  the  cause  of  any  sin  becomes  crimi- 
nal to  the  man  that  sins,  it  is  certain,  that  if  the 
other,  who  was  m?,de  the  occasion,   did  disavow 
and  protest  against  the  crime,  the  man  that  sins  is 
the  only  guilty  person,  both  in  the  effect  and  cause 
too  ;  for  the  other  could  do  no  more  but  use  a  mo- 
ral and  prudent  industry  to  }ivevent  a  being  misin- 
terpreted ;  and  if  he  were  tied  to   more,  he  must 
(put  bis  interest  for  ever  in  a  perpetual  scruple  : 
and  it  is  like  taking  away  all  laws,  to  prevent  dis- 
obedience ;  and    making    all   even,   to  secure   the 
world  against   the  effects  of  pride  or  stubbornness. 
I  add  to  this,  that  since  actions  indifferent  in  thtir 
own  natures  are  not  productive  of  effects  and  ac- 
tions criminal,  it  is  merely  by  accident  that    men 
are  abused   into  a  sin  ;  that   is,  by    weakness,  by 
misconceit,    by    something    that   either   discovers 
malice  or  indiscretion:  which   because  the  act  it- 
self does  not  of  itself,  if  the  man  does  not  volun- 
tarily, or  by  intention,  the  sin  dwells  nowhere  but 
with   the  man  that  entertains  it.     The  man  is  no 
longer  weak  than  he  is   mistaken  ;  and  he  is  not 
mistaken   or  abused   into  the  sin   by   example  of 
any  man,  who  hath  rightly  stated  his  own  question, 
and  divorced   llje  suspicion  ol  the  j-in  I'rom  iiis  ac- 
tion :  whatsoe\er  comes  after  this  is  not    veaknesa 


(»i-  scANrtxi,.  131 

of  understanding-,  but  strenglli  of  passion.  And 
he  that  is  always  learninof,  and  never  comes  to  tlie 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  is  something  besides  a  silly 
man.  Men  cannot  be  always  '  babes  in  Christ'' 
without  their  own  fault :  they  are  no  longer  '  Christ's 
little  ones'  than  they  are  inculpably  ignorant:  for  it 
is  but  a  mantle  cast  over  pride  and  frowardness,  to 
think  ourselves  able  to  teach  others,  and  yet  pre- 
tend ofl'ence  and  scandal;  to  scorn  to  be  instructed, 
!ind  yet  complain  that  we  are  offended,  and  led  into 
sin  for  want  of  knowledge  of  our  duty.  He  that 
understands  his  duty  is  not  a  person  ca|)able  ol 
scandal  by  things  indifferent.  And  it  is  certain, 
that  no  man  can  say  concerning  himself,  tliat  he  is 
scandalized  at  another;  that  is,  that  he  is  led  into 
sin  by  mistake  and  weakness;  for  if  himself 
knows  it  the  mistake  is  gone.  Well  may  the  guides 
of  their  souls  complain,  concerning  such  persons, 
that  their  sin  is  procured  by  offending  persons 
or  actions  :  but  he  that  complains  concerning  him- 
self to  the  same  purpose,  pretends  ignorance  for 
other  ends,  and  contradicts  himself  by  his  com- 
plaint and  knowledge  of  his  error.  The  boy  was 
prettily  peevish,  who,  when  his  father  bid  pronounce 
Thalassius,  told  him  he  could  not  ])ronounce  Tha- 
lassius,  at  the  same  time  speaking  the  word.  Just 
so  impotent,  weak,  and  undiscerning  a  person  is 
tiiat,  who  would  forbid  me  to  do  an  indifferent  ac- 
tion, upon  pretence  that  it  makes  him  ignorantly 
sin  ;  for  his  saying  so  confutes  his  ignorance,  and 
argues  him  of  a  worse  folly  :  it  is  like  asking  my 
neighbour,  whether  such  an  action  be  done  against 
my  o«n  will. 

'  Wt^h  t'lr  ry  Trinrn.  Hom.  xlv.  ;  1  Cor.  yiii.  10, 12. 


132  OF    SCANDAL. 

1 1.  Seventhly,  When  an  action  is  apt  to  be  mis- 
taken to  contrary  purposes  it  concerns  the  prudence 
and  charity  of  aChristian,  to  use  such  compliance  as 
best  co-operates  to  God's  glory,  and  hath  in  it  the 
less  danger.  The  apostles  gave  an  instance  in  the 
matter  of  circumcision,  in  which  they  walked  wa- 
rily, and  with  variety  of  design,  that  they  might 
invite  the  Gentiles  to  the  easy  yoke  of  Christianity, 
and  yet  not  deter  the  Jews  by  a  disrespect  to  the 
law  of  Moses.  And  therefore  St.  Paul  circumcised 
Timothy,  because  he  was  among  the  Jews  and  de- 
scended from  a  Jewish  parent,  and  in  the  instance 
gave  sentence  in  compliance  with  the  Jewish  per- 
suasion, because  Timothy  might  well  be  accounted 
for  a  Jew  by  birth  :  unto  them  the  rites  of  Moses 
were  for  a  while  permitted.  But  when  Titus  was 
brought  upon  the  scene  of  a  mixed  assembly,  and 
was  no  Jew,  but  a  Greek,  to  whom  Paul  had  taught 
'  they  ought  not  to  be  circumcised  ;"  althougli  some 
Jews  watched  what  he  would  do,  yet  he  plainly  re- 
fused to  circumcise  him;  choosing  rather  to  leave 
the  Jews  angry,  than  the  Gentiles  scandalized,  or 
led  into  an  opinion  that  circumcision  was  neces- 
sary, or  that  he  had  taught  them  otherwise  out  of 
collateral  ends,  or  that  now  he  did  so.  But  when 
a  case  of  Christian  liberty  happened  to  St.  Peter, 
he  was  not  so  prudent  in  his  choice,  but  at  the 
coming  of  certain  Jews  from  Jerusalem,  withdrew 
himself  from  the  society  of  the  Gentiles;  not  con- 
sidering, that  it  was  worse  if  the  Gentiles,  who 
were  invited  to  Christianity  by  the  sweetness  of 
its  liberty  and  compliance,  should  fall  back,  when 
they  that  taught  them  the  excellency  of  Christian 

'  Gal.  ii.  3,  4,  &c. 


ur  scANUAi.  133 

liberty  durst   not  stand   to  it,  tlmn  if  those  Jews 
were  displeased   at  Christianity  for  admitting  Gen- 
tiles into  its  communion,  after  they  had  been  in- 
structed that  God  had  broken  down  the  partition- 
wall,  and  made  them   one  sheepfold.     It  was   of 
greater  concernment  to  God's  glory   to   gain   the 
Gentiles    than  to   retain  the  Jews  :  and  yet  if  he 
had  not,  the  apostles   were  bound  to  bend  to  llie 
inclinations  of  the  weaker,  rather  than  be  mastered 
l)y  the  wilfulness  of  the  stronger,  who  had  been 
sufficiently  instructed   in  the  articles  of  Christian 
liberty,  and   in  the  adopting  tlie  Gentiles  into  the 
family  of  God.     Tiius  if  it  be  a  question  whether  I 
should  abate  any  thing  of  my  external   religion  or 
ceremonies  to  satisfy  an  heretic  or  a  contentious 
person,  who   pretends  scandal  to  himself,    and  is 
indeed   of  another   persuasion  ;  and   at  the   same 
time  I  know  that  good  persons  will  be  weakened 
nt  such    forbearance,  and  estranged  from  the  good 
persuasion   and   charity   of  communion,  which   is 
part  of  their  duty ;  it  more  concerns  charity  and 
the  glory  of  God,    that  I   secure  the   right   than 
twine  about  the  wrong,  wilful,  and  malicious  per- 
sons.    A  prelate  must  rather  fortify  and  encourage 
obedience,  and   strengthen  discipline,  than  by  re- 
missness toward  refractory  spirits,  and  a  desire  not 
to  seem  severe,  weaken  the  hands  of  conscientious 
|>ersons,   by  taking  away  the  marks  of  diflerence 
between  them  that  obey  and  them  that  obey  not. 
And  in  all  cases  when  the  question  is  between  a 
friend   to  be  secured   from  apostacy,  or  an  enemy 
to  be  gained  from  indifferency,  St.  Paul's  rule  is  to 
be  observed:  '  ])o  good  to  all,  but  especially  to  the 
Ijousehold  of  faith."     When  the  church,  in  a  parti- 


134  OF    SCANDAL. 

cular  instance,  cannot  be  kind  to  both,  she  must  first 
love  her  own  children. 

12.  Eighthly,  But  when  the  question  is  between 
jDleasing  and  contenting-  the  fancies  of  a  friend, 
and  the  gaining  of  an  enemy,  the  greater  good  of  the 
enemy  is  infinitely  to  be  preferred  before  the  satis- 
fying the  unnecessary  humour  of  the  friend.  And 
therefore  that  we  may  gain  persons  of  a  different  re- 
ligion, it  is  lawful  to  entertain  them  in  their  innocent 
customs,  that  we  may  represent  ourselves  charitable 
and  just,  apt  to  comply  in  what  we  can,  and  yet 
for  no  end  complying  further  than  we  are  per- 
mitted. It  was  a  policy  of  the  devil  to  abuse 
Christians  to  the  rites  of  Mithra,  by  imitating  the 
Christian  ceremonies.  And  the  Christians  them- 
selves were  beforehand  with  him  in  that  policy ; 
for  they  facilitated  the  reconcilement  of  Judaism 
with  Christianity  by  common  rites;  and  invited 
the  Gentiles  to  the  Christian  churches,  because 
they  never  violated  the  heathen  temples,  but  loved 
the  men,  and  imitated  their  innocent  rites,  and 
only  offered  to  reform  their  errors,  and  hallow  their 
abused  purposes :  and  this,  if  it  had  no  other  con- 
tradictory or  unhandsome  circumstance,  gave  no 
offence  to  other  Christians,  when  they  had  learned 
to  trust  them  with  the  government  of  ecclesiastical 
affairs  to  whom  God  had  committed  them,  and 
they  all  had  the  same  purposes  of  religion  and 
charity.  And  when  there  is  no  objection  against 
this  but  tlie  furies  or  greater  heats  of  a  mistaken 
zeal,  the  compliance  with  evil  or  unbelieving  per- 
sons, to  gain  them  from  their  errors  to  the  ways  of 
truth  and  sincerity,  is  great  prudence  and  great 
charity  ;  because  it  chooses  and  acts  a  greater  good 


Ol     SCANDAL.  135 

at  no  otlieicliargeor  expense  but  llie  discomposhi;^ 
of  an  intenipeniie  zeul. 

13.  Nintlily,  We  are  not  bound  to  intermit  a 
good  or  a  lawful  action  as  soon  as  any  man  tells 
us  it  is  scandalous:  (for  that  may  be  an  easy 
strataf^em  to  give  me  laws,  and  destroy  my  liberty  :) 
but  either  when  the  action  is  of  itself,  or  by  reason 
of  a  public  known  indisposition  of  some  persons, 
probably  introductive  of  a  sin  ;  or  when  we  know  it 
is  so  in  fact.  Tlie  other  is  but  aflVigliting'  a  man  : 
this  only  is  prudent,  that  my  charity  be  guided  by 
such  rules  which  determine  wise  men  to  actions  or 
omissions  respectively  ;  and  therefore  a  light  fame 
is  not  strong  enough  to  wrest  my  liberty  from  me ; 
but  a  reasonable  belief,  or  a  certain  knowledge  ; 
in  the  taking  of  which  estimate  we  must  neither  bi: 
too  credulous  and  easy,  nor  yet  ungentle  and  stub- 
born, but  do  according  to  the  actions  of  wise  men 
and  the  charities  of  a  Christian.  Hither  we  may 
refer  the  rules  of  abstaining  from  things  which  are 
of  evil  report:  for  not  every  thing  which  is  of 
good  report  is  to  be  followed  ;  for  then  a  false  opi- 
nion, when  it  is  become  popular,  must  be  professed 
for  conscience'  sake  :  nor  yet  every  thing  that  is  of 
bad  report  is  to  be  avoided  ;  for  nothing  endured 
more  sliame  and  obloquy  than  Christianity  at  its 
first  commencement.  But  by  good  report  we  are 
to  understand  such  things  which  are  well  rejjorted 
of  by  good  men  and  wise  men,  or  Scripture,  or  the 
consent  of  nations.  And  thus  for  a  woman  to  marry 
within  the  year  of  mourning  is  scandalous,  because 
it  is  of  evil  re])ort,  gives  susj)icion  of  lightness,  or 
some  worse  confederacy,  before  the  death  of  her 
iiusband  ;  the  thing  itself  is  apt  to  minister  the 
Huspicion,  and  this  mo  are  bound  to  prevent:  and 


136  OF    SCANDAL, 

unless  the  suspicion  be  malicious,  or  impriuleni 
and  unreasonable,  we  must  conceal  our  actions 
from  the  surprises  and  deprehensions  of  suspicion- 
It  was  scandalous  amongst  tbe  old  Romans  not  to 
marry  ;  among  the  Christians,  for  a  clergyman  to 
marry  twice,  because  it  was  against  an  apostolical 
canon  :  but  when  it  became  of  ill  report  for  any 
Christian  to  marry  the  second  time,  because  this 
evil  report  was  begun  by  the  errors  of  Montanus, 
and  is  against  a  permission  of  holy  Scripture,  no 
lay-christian  was  bound  to  abstain  from  a  second 
bed  for  fear  of  giving  scandal. 

14.  Tenthly,  The  precept  of  avoiding  scandal 
concerns  the  governors  of  the  church  or  state  in 
the  making  and  execution  of  laws ;  for  no  law  in 
things  indifterent  ought  to  be  made  to  the  provoca- 
tion of  the  subject,  or  against  that  pulilic  disposi- 
tion which  is  in  the  spirits  of  men,  and  will  cer- 
tainly cause  perpetual  irregularities  and  schisms. 
Before  the  law  be  made,  the  superior  must  comply 
with  the  subject;  after  it  is  made,  the  subject  must 
comply  with  the  law  :  but  in  this  the  church  hath 
made  fair  provision,  accounting-  no  laws  obligatory 
till  the  people  have  accepted  them,  and  given  tacit 
approbation.  For  ecclesiastical  canons  have  their 
time  of  probation :  and  if  they  become  a  burden 
to  the  people,  or  occasion  schism,  tumults,  public 
disunion  of  affections,  and  jealousies  against  au- 
thority, the  laws  give  phice,  and  either  fix  not 
when  they  are  not  first  approved,  or  disappear  by 
desuetude.  And  in  the  execution  of  laws  no  less 
care  is  to  be  taken  :  for  many  cases  occur  in  whicii 
the  laws  can  be  rescued  from  being  a  snare  to 
men's  consciences  by  no  other  way  but  by  dispen- 
sation, and  slacking  of  the  discipline  as  to  certain 


OF    SCANDAI..  l;j/ 

particulars.  Mercy  and  sacrifice,  Jlie  letter  and 
the  spirit,  the  words  and  the  intention,  llie  general 
case  and  the  particular  exception,  the  present  dis- 
position and  the  former  state  of  things,  are  often- 
times so  repugnant,  and  of  such  contradictory  in- 
terests, that  there  is  no  stumbling--block  more 
troublesome  or  dangerous  than  a  severe,  literal, 
and  rigorous  exacting  of  laws  in  all  cases.  But 
when  stubbornness  or  a  contentious  spirit,  when 
rebellion  and  pride,  "hen  secular  interest,  or  ease 
and  licentiousness,  set  men  up  against  the  laws, 
the  laws  then  are  upon  the  defensive,  and  ought 
not  to  give  place.  It  is  ill  to  cure  particular  dis- 
obedience by  removing  a  constitution  decreed  by 
public  wisdom  for  a  general  good.  When  tlie  evil 
occasioned  by  tlie  law  is  greater  than  the  good 
designed,  or  than  the  good  which  will  come  by  it 
in  the  present  constitution  of  things,  and  the  evil 
can  by  no  other  remedy  be  healed,  it  concerns 
the  lawgiver's  charity  to  takeoff"  such  positive  con- 
stitutions, which  in  the  authority  are  merely  human, 
and  in  the  matter  indifferent,  and  evil  in  the  event. 
The  sum  of  this  whole  duty  I  shall  choose  to  re- 
present in  the  words  of  an  excellent  person,  St. 
Jerome:  "We  must,  for  the  avoiding  of  scandal, 
quit  every  thing  which  may  be  omitted  without  pre- 
judice to  the  threefold  truth,  of  life,  of  justice,  and 
doctruje."  Meaning,  that  what  is  not  expressly 
commanded  by  God  or  our  superiors,  or  what  is 
not  exj)ressly  commanded  as  an  act  of  j)iety  an<l 
perfection,  or  what  is  not  an  obligation  of  justice; 
that  is,  in  which  the  interest  of  a  third  person,  or 
else  our  own  Christian  liberty,  is  not  totally  con- 
cerned; all  that  is  to  be  given  in  sacrifice  to  mercy. 


l.'!8  CAUSr.S    AND    MANNER 

and  to  be  made  matter  of  edification  and  charity  ; 
but  not  of  scandal ;  that  is,  of  danger,  and  sin,  and 
falling,  to  our  neighbour. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  Jesus,  who  art  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness, 
sanctification,  and  redemption,  give  us  of  thy  abundant  charity, 
that  we  may  love  the  eternal  benefit  of  our  brother's  soul  with 
a  true,  diligent,  and  affectionate  care  and  tenderness.  Give  us  a 
fellow-feeling  of  one  another's  calamities,  a  readiness  to  bear  each 
other's  burdens,  aptness  to  forbear,  wisdom  lo  advise,  counsel  to 
direct,  and  a  spirit  of  meekness  and  modesty  trembling  at  our  in- 
firmities, fearful  in  our  brother's  dangers,  and  joyful  in  his  resti- 
tution and  securities.  Lord,  let  all  our  actions  be  pious  and 
prudent,  ourselves  wise  as  serpents,  and  innocent  as  doves,  and 
our  whole  life  exemplary,  and  just,  and  charitable  :  that  wc  may, 
like  lamps  shining  in  thy  temple,  serve  thee  and  enlighten  others, 
and  guide  them  to  thy  sanctuary  ;  and  that,  shining  clearly,  and 
burning  zealously,  when  the  bridegroom  shall  come  to  bind  up  his 
jewels,  and  beautify  his  spouse,  and  gather  his  saints  together, 
we,  and  all  thy  Christian  people  knit  in  holy  fellowship,  may 
enter  into  the  joy  of  our  Lord,  and  partake  of  the  eternal  re- 
freshments of  the  kingdom  of  light  and  glory,  where  thou,  O 
holy  and  eternal  Jesu,  livest  and  reignest  in  the  excellencies  of  a 
kingdom,  and  the  infinite  durations  of  eternity.     Amen. 


DISCOURSE  XVIII. 

Of  the  Causes  and  Manner  of  the  Divine  Judgments. 

I.  God's  judgments  are  like  the  writing  upon 
the  wall,'   which  was  a  missive  of  anger  from  God 

'  TldvTT]  S'  d^^avdrdjv  dtpavriQ  vooq  av9()iij7roi(n.     Soloa. — 
"  The  designs  of  the  immortals  are  inscrutable  to  man." 


OF   DIVINL   .ii'ug.mi;nts.  139 

upon  Belshazzar.     It  came  upon  an  errand  of  re- 
venge, and  yet  was  writ  in  so  dark  characters  tliat 
none  could  read  it  but  a  prophet.     Whenever  God 
speaks  from  heaven,  lie  would  have  us  to  under- 
stand  iiis  meaning  :   and    if   he    declares    not    his 
sense  in  particular  signilication,  yet  we  understand 
his  meaning-   well  enough,  if  every  voice  of  (iod 
leads  us  to  repentance.     Every  sad  accident  is  di- 
rected against  sin,  either  to  prevent  it  or  to  cure  it; 
to   glorify  God  or  to  hunil)le  us;  to  make  us  go 
forth  of  ourselves,  and  to  rest  upon  the  centre  or 
all   felicities,  that  we   may   derive  help  from   the 
same  liand  that  smote  us.     Sin  and    })unisliment 
are  so  near  relatives,  that  when  God  hath  marked 
any  person   «ith   a  sailness  or  unhandsome  acci- 
dent, men  think  it  warrant  enougl)  /or  their  uncha- 
ritable censures,  and  condemn  ihe  man  whom  God 
hath  smitten,  making  G(u<  the  executioner  of  our 
uncertain  or  ungentle  sentences.    '  Whether  sinned 
this  man  or  his  parents,  that  he  was  born  blind  ? 
said  the  Pharisees  to  our  blessed  Lord.     'Neither 
this  man,  nor  his  parents,'  was  the  answer;  mean- 
ing, that  God  had  other  ends  in  that  accident  to 
serve;  and   it  was   not  an  effect  of  wrath,  but  a 
design    of  mercy    both    directly    and   collaterally. 
God's  glory  must  be  seen  clearly  by  occasion  of  the 
curing  the  blind  man.     But  in  the  present  case  the 
answer  was  something  different.     Pilate  slew  the 
(Galileans  when  they  were  sacrificing  in  their  con- 
venticles apart  from  the  Jews :  for  they  first  had 
separated    from   obedience    and    paying  tribute  to 
Caesar;  and  then  from  the  church,  who  disavowetl 
their  mutinous  and  discontented  doctrines.     The 
cause  of  the  one    and   other    are    linked    in    mu- 
tual complications  and  endearment;  and  he  wljo 


I-IO  •    CAI  Si;>^     AM)    MANMIi 

despises  the  one  will  quickly  disobey  the  other. 
Presently,  upon  report  of  this  sad  accident,  ihe 
people  ran  to  the  judgment-seat;  and  every  man 
was  ready  to  be  accuser  and  witness  and  judge 
upon  these  poor  destroyed  people.  But  Jesus  al- 
lays their  heat;  and  though  he  would  by  no  means 
acquit  these  persons  from  deserving  death  for  their 
denying  tribute  to  Caesar,  yet  be  alters  the  face  of 
the  tribunal,  and  makes  those  persons  who  were 
so  apt  to  be  accusers  and  judges,  to  act  another 
part,  even  of  guilty  persons  too;  that  since  they  will 
needs  be  judging,  they  might  judge  themselves: 
for,  '  Think  not  these  were  greater  sinners  than  all 
the  other  Galileans,  because  they  suffered  such 
things.  1  tell  you,  nay  ;  but,  except  ye  repent,  ye 
shall  all  likewise  perish,' '  Meaning,  that  although 
there  was  great  proViability  to  believe  such  persons 
(schismatics,  I  mean,  and  rebels)  to  be  the  greatest 
sinners  of  the  world  ;  yet  themselves,  who  had  de- 
signs to  destroy  the  Son  of  God,  had  deserved  as 
great  damnation.  And  yet  it  is  observable,  that 
the  holy  Jesus  only  compared  the  sins  of  them 
that  suffered  with  the  estate  of  the  other  Galileans 
who  suffered  not,  (and  that  also  applies  it  to  the 
persons  present  who  told  the  news,)  to  consign  this 
truth  unto  us — that  when  persons  confederate  iji 
the  same  crimes,  are  spared  from  a  present  judg- 
ment falling  upon  others  of  their  own  society,  it  i.s 
indeed  a  strong  alarm  to  all  to  secure  themselves 
by  repentance  against  the  hostilities  and  eruptions 
of  sin;  but  yet  it  is  no  exemption  or  security  to 
them  that  escape,  to  believe  themselves  persons  less 
sinful.     For   God   sometimes  decimates  or  tithes 

'  liuke,  xiii.  3. 


ur    DtVIM      JLI)(iMI  NTS.  I4t 

delinquent  |)er>oiis,  lli-it  they  die  for  a  common 
Clime,  according;  as  Ciod  liatli  cast  tiieir  lot  in  the 
decrt'cs  of  precieslination ;  and  either  they  that 
remain  are  sealed  up  to  a  worse  calamity,  or  left 
within  the  reserves  and  mercies  of  repentance  ;  for 
in  this  there  is  some  variety  of  determination  and 
undiscerned  providence. 

2.  The  purpose  of  our  blessed  Saviour  is  of 
great  use  to  us  in  all  the  traverses  and  changes, 
and  especially  the  sad  and  calamitous  accidents  o«f 
the  world.  But  in  the  misfortune  of  others  we 
are  to  make  other  discoui-ses  concerning  divine 
judgments,  than  when  the  case  is  of  nearer  con- 
cernment to  ourselves.  For,  first,  when  we  see  a 
person  come  to  an  unfortunate  and  untimely  death, 
we  must  not  conclude  such  a  man  perishing  and  mi- 
serable to  all  eternity.'  It  was  a  sad  calamity  that 
fell  upon  the  man  of  Judah,  that  returned  to  eat 
bread  into  the  proj)het's  house,  contrary  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord.  He  was  abused  into  the  act  by  a 
prophet,  and  a  pretence  of  a  command  from  God : 
and  whether  he  did  violence  to  his  own  under- 
standing, and  believed  the  man  because  he  was 
willing,  or  did  it  in  sincerity,  or  in  what  degree  of 
sin  or  excuse  the  action  might  consist,  no  man 
there  knew  ;  and  yet  a  lion  slew  him,  and  the  ly- 
ing prophet  that  abused  him  escaped,  and  went  to 
his  grave  in  peace.     Some  persons,  joined  in  society 

'  De  Anania  et  Sapphira  dixit  Origcne*,  Digni  enim  erant 
in  sa-culo  recipcre  peccatuni  siiuni,  ut  nuindiores  exeant  ab  hac 
vita,  numdati  castigatione  sil)i  illata  per  mortem  conmiunem, 
(juoniam  credtntcs  craiit  in  Christum.  Idem  ait  S.  Aiij;.  lib.  iv. 
c.  1.  ront.  Parmeii.  et  Cas-ian. — "  Ori^cn  has  said,  conceminfj 
Ananias  and  Sapphira,  that  they  were  punished  in  this  world 
that  they  might  leave  it  chastened,  ])urificd  by  the  death  which 
ihey  both  suffered,  because  they  were  believers  in  Christ." 


142  CAUSES    ANn    MANNER 

and  interest  with  criminals,  have  perished  in  the 
same  judgments;  and  yet  it  would  be  hard  to  call 
them  equally  guilty,  who  in  the  accident  were 
equally  miserable  and  involved.  And  they  who 
are  not  strangers  in  the  affairs  of  the  world,  cannot 
but  have  heard  or  seen  some  persons  who  have  lived 
well  and  moderately,  though  not  like  the  flames  of 
the  holocaust,  yet  like  the  ashes  of  incense,  send- 
ing up  good  perfumes,  and  keeping  a  constant  and 
slow  fire  of  piety  and  justice,  yet  have  been  sur- 
prised in  the  midst  of  some  unusual,  unaccustomed 
irregularity,  and  died  in  that  sin.  A  sudden  gaiety 
of  fortune,  a  great  joy,  a  violent  change,  a  friend 
is  come,  or  a  marriage-day  hath  transported  some 
persons  to  indiscretions  and  too  bold  a  licence  ;  and 
the  indiscretion  hath  betrayed  them  to  idle  com- 
pany, and  the  company  to  drink,  and  drink  to  a 
fall,  and  that  hath  hurried  them  to  their  grave. 
And  it  were  a  sad  sentence  to  think  God  would 
not  repute  the  untimely  death  for  a  punishment 
great  enough  to  that  deflexion  from  duty,  and 
judge  the  man  according  to  the  constant  tenour  of 
his  former  life.  Unless  such  an  act  was  of  malice 
great  enough  to  outweigh  the  former  habits,  and 
interrupt  the  whole  state  of  acception  and  grace. 
Something  like  this  was  the  case  of  Uzzah,  who 
espying  the  tottering  ark,  went  to  support  it  with 
an  unhallowed  hand :  God  smote  him,  and  he: 
died  immediately.  It  were  too  severe  to  say  hi? 
zeal  and  indiscretion  carried  him  beyond  a  tempo 
ral  death  to  the  ruins  of  eternity.  Origen  and 
many  others  have  made  themselves  *  eunuchs  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,'  and  did  well  after  it;  but 
those  that  did  so,  and  died  of  the  wound,  were 
smitten  of  God,  and  died  in  their  folly;  and  yet  it 


OF    DIVINE    JUDGMKNTS.  143 

IS  rather  to  be  called  a  sad  consequence  of  their  in- 
discretion, than  the   express  of  a  final  ang'er  from 
God  Almighty.     For  as  God  takes  of!"  our  sins  and 
punishments  by  parts,  remitting  to  some  persons  the 
sentence  of  death,  and  inflicting  the  fine  of  a  tem- 
poral loss,  or  the  gentle  scourge  of  a  lesser  sick- 
ness ;  so  also  he  lays  it  on  by  j)arts,  and  according 
to  the  proper  proportions  of  the  man  and  of  the 
crime;  and  every  transgression  and  lesser  deviation 
from  our  duty  does  not  drag  the  soul  to  death  eter- 
nal ;  but  God  suffers   our  repentance,  though  im- 
perfect, to  have  an  imperfect  effect,  knocking  off"  the 
fetters  by  degrees,  and  leading  us  in  some  cases  to 
a  council,  in   some  to  judgment,  and  in  some  to 
liell-fire.     But  it  is  not  always  certain  that  he  who 
is  lead  to  the  prison  doors  shall  there  lie  entomb- 
ed ;  and  a  man  may  by  a  judgment  be  brought  to 
the   gates  nf  hell,   and  yet  tiiose  gates  shall   not 
prevail  against  him.     This  discourse  concerns  per- 
sons whose  life  is  habitually  fair  and  just,  but  are 
surprised  in  some   unhandsome,  but  less  criminal 
action,  and  die  or  suffer  some  great  calamity  as  the 
instrument  of  its  expiation  or  amendment. 

3.  Secondly,  But  if  the  person  upon  whom  the 
judgment  fulls  be  habitually  vicious,  or  the  crime 
of  a  clamorous  nature  or  deejier  tincture;  if  the 
man  '  sin  a  sin  unto  dealli,'  and  either  meets  it,  or 
some  otiier  remarkable  calamity  not  so  feared  as 
death,  provided  we  pass  no  further  tiian  the  sen- 
tence we  see  then  executed,  it  is  not  against  cha- 
rity or  prudence  to  say,  this  calamity,  in  its  own 
formality,  and  by  the  intention  of  God,  is  a  pu- 
nisliment  and  judgment.  In  the  favouralile  cases 
of  honest  and  just  jiersons  our  sentence  and  opi- 
nions  ought  also   to    be  favourable,    and   in    sucl* 


144  CAUSES    AND    iMANNKR 

questions  to  incline  ever  to  the  side  of  charitable 
construction,  and  read  other  ends  of  God  in  the 
accidents  of  our  neighbour  than  revenge  or  express 
wrath.  But  when  the  impiety  of  a  person  is  scan- 
dalous and  notorious,  when  it  is  clamorous  and 
violent,  when  it  is  habitual  and  yet  corrigible,  if 
we  find  a  sadness  and  calamity  dwelling  with  such 
a  sinner,  especially  if  the  punishment  be  spiritual, 
we  read  the  sentence  of  God  written  with  his  own 
hand ;  and  it  is  not  sauciness  of  opinion,  or  a. 
pressing  into  the  secrets  of  Providence,  to  say  the 
same  thing  which  God  hath  published  to  all  the 
world  in  the  expresses  of  his  Spirit.  In  such  cases 
we  are  to  observe  the  '  severity  of  God  ;  on  them 
that  fall  severity  ;'  and  to  use  those  judgments  as 
instruments  of  the  fear  of  God,  and  arguments  to 
hate  sin  ;  which  we  could  not  well  do,  but  that  we 
must  look  on  them  as  verifications  of  God's  threat- 
ening against  great  and  impenitent  sinners.  But 
then,  if  we  descend  to  particulars,  we  may  easily  be 
deceived. 

4.  For  some  men  are  diligent  to  observe  the  ac- 
cidents and  chances  of  providence  upon  those  es- 
pecially who  differ  from  them  in  opinion;  and 
whatever  ends  God  can  have,  or  whatever  sins  man 
can  have,  yet  we  lay  that  in  fault  which  we  there- 
fore hate  because  it  is  most  against  our  interest; 
the  contrary  opinion  is  our  enemy,  and  we  also 
think  God  hates  it.  But  such  fancies  do  seldom 
serve  either  the  ends  of  truth  or  charity.  Pierre 
Calceon  died  under  the  barber's  hand :  there 
wanted  not  some  who  had  said  it  was  a  judgment 
upon  him  for  condemning  to  the  fire  the  famous 
Pucelle  of  France,  who  prophesied  the  expulsion  of 
the  English  out  of  the  kingdom     They  that  thought 


OF    DIVINK    JLDGMENTS.  I -16 

this,  believed  lior  to  be  a.  prophetess;  but  others, 
that  thought  her  a  witch,  were  willing  to  find  out 
another  conjecture  for  the  sudden  death  of  that 
gentleman.  Garnier.  earl  of  Gretz,  kept  the  pa- 
triarch of  Jerusalem  from  his  right  in  David's 
tower  and  the  city,  and  died  within  three  days; 
and  by  ])a))art,  the  patriarch,  it  was  called  a  judg- 
ment upon  liim  for  his  sacrilege.  But  the  uncer- 
tainty of  tliat  censure  appeared  to  them  who  con- 
sidered that  Baldwin  (who  gave  commission  to 
Garnier  to  withstand  the  patriarch)  did  not  die; 
but  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  did  die  immediately  after 
he  had  passed  the  right  of  the  patriarcli.  And  yet 
when  Balflwin  was  beaten  at  Rhan)ula,  some  bold 
people  pronounced  that  then  God  punished  him 
wpon  the  patriarch's  score,  and  thought  his  sacri- 
lege to  l>e  the  secret  cause  of  his  overthrow  :  and 
yet  his  own  pride  and  rashness  was  the  more  visi- 
ble, and  the  judgment  was  but  a  cloud,  and  pas- 
sed away  quickly  into  succeeding  victory.'  But  I 
instance  in  a  trifle.  Certain  it  is,  that  God 
removed  the  candlestick  from  the  Levantine 
churches  because  he  had  a  quarrel  unto  them  :  for 
that  punirshment  is  never  sent  upon  pure  designs 
of  emendation,  or  for  direct  and  immediate  pur- 
poses of  the  divine  glory,  but  ever  makes  reflection 
upon  tlie  past  sin  ;  but  when  we  descend  to  a  judg- 
ment of  the  jiarticulars,  God  walks  so  in  the  dark 
to  us,  that  it  is  not  discerned  upon  wliat  ground  he 
smote  them.  Some  say  it  was  because  tliey  dis- 
honoured the  eternal  Jesus,  in  denying  the  j)roces- 
sion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  from  the  Son.  And  in 
this  some  thought  themselves  sufficiently  assured 

I    I!aroii.  AD.  lliK),  and  20-24. 
VOL.     II.  32 


146  CAI'5I:S     AM>    MANNER 

l>y  a  si^n  from  heaven,  because  the  Greeks  lost 
Constantinople  upon  Whitsunday,  the  day  of  the 
festival  of  the  Holy  Spirit.'  The  church  of  Rome 
calls  the  churches  of  the  Greek  communion  schis- 
matical,  and  thinks  God  righted  the  Roman  quarrel 
when  lie  revenged  his  own.  Some  think  they  were 
cut  off  for  being  breakers  of  images :  others  think 
tliat  their  zeal  against  images  was  a  means  they 
were  cut  off  no  sooner.  And  yet  he  that  shall 
observe  what  innumerable  sects,  lieresies,  and 
factions  were  commenced  amongst  them,  and  how 
they  were  wanton  with  religion,  making  it  serve 
ambitious  and  unworthy  ends,  will  see  that,  besides 
the  ordinary  conjectures  of  interested  persons,  they 
had  such  causes  of  their  ruin  which  we  also  now  feel 
heavily  incumbent  upon  ourselves.  To  see  God 
adding  fifteen  years  to  the  life  ofHezekiah  upon 
his  prayer,  and  yet  cutting  off  the  young  son  of 
David,  begotten  in  adulterous  embraces  ;  to  see  him 
rejecting  Adonijah,  and  receiving  Solomon  to  the 
kingdom,  begotten  of  the  same  mother  whose  son 
God  in  anger  formerly  slew  ;  to  observe  his  mer- 
cies to  Manasses,  in  accepting  him  to  favour,  and 
continuing  the  kingdom  to  him,  and  his  severity  to 
Zedekiah,  in  causing  his  eyes  to  be  put  out;  to 
.see  him  rewarding  Nebuchadnezzar  with  the  spoils 
of  Egypt  for  destroying  Tyre,  and  executing  God's 
severe  anger  against  it,  and  yet  punishing  others  for 
being  executioners  of  his  wrath  upon  Jerusalem, 
even  then  when  he  purposed  to  chastise  it;  to  see 
Wenceslaus  raised  from  a  peasant  to  a  throne, 
and  Pompey  from  a  great  prince  reduced  to  that 
condition,  that  a  pupil  and  an  eunuch  passed  sen- 

'  Kstius. 


Of    DIVINE    JCDGMENTS.  147 

tence  of  dealli  upon  him  ;  to  see  great  fortunes  fall 
into  the  hand  of  a  fool,  and  honourable  old  persons 
and  learned  men  descend  to  unefjiial  beggary;  to 
see  liim  strike  a  stroke  with  his  own  hand  in  the 
conversion  of  Saul,  and  another  quite  contrary  in 
the  cutting  off  of  Judas  ;  must  needs  be  some  re- 
straint to  our  judgments  concerning  the  general 
state  of  those  men  who  lie  under  the  rod  :  but  it 
proclaims  an  infinite  uncertainty  in  the  particular*, 
since  we  see  contrary  accidents  happening  to  per- 
sons guilty  of  the  same  crime,  or  put  in  the  same 
indispositions.  God  hath  marked  all  great  sins 
with  some  signal  and  express  judgments,  and  hath 
transmitted  the  records  of  them,  or  represented 
them  before  our  eyes ;  that  is,  hath  done  so  in  our 
age,  or  it  hath  been  noted  to  have  been  done  be- 
fore :  and  that  being  sufficient  to  affright  us  from 
those  crimes,  CJod  hath  not  thought  it  expedient  to 
do  the  same  things  to  all  persons  in  the  same 
cases,  having  to  all  persons  produced  instances 
and  examples  of  fear  by  fewer  accidents,  sufficient 
to  restrain  us,  but  not  enough  to  pass  senlencf 
upon  the  changes  of  divine  Providence. 

5.  But  sometimes  God  speaks  plainer,  and  gives 
us  notice  what  crimes  he  punishes  in  others,  that 
we  may  the  rather  decline  such  rocks  of  offence. 
If  the  crime  and  the  punishment  be  symbolical, 
and  have  proportion  and  correspondence  of  parts, 
the  hand  of  God  strikes  the  man,  but  holds  up  one 
finger  to  point  at  the  sin.  The  death  of  the  child 
ol'  liathsheba  was  a  plain  declaration  that  Int- 
anger  of  (iod  was  upon  David  for  the  adulterous 
mixture.  That  blasphemer,  whose  tongue  was 
presently  struck  with  an  ulcerous  tumour,  with  hiii 
tongue  declared   the  glories  of  (Jod   and  his  own 


-i|8  CAL'SES    AND    MANNER 

shame.  And  it  was  not  doubted  but  God,  when  he 
smote  the  lady  of  Dominicus  Silvius,  the  duke  of 
Venice,  with  a  loathsome  and  unsavoury  disease, 
did  intend  to  chastise  a  remarkable  vanity  of  hers, 
in  various  and  costly  perfumes,  which  she  affected 
in  an  unreasonable  manner,  and  to  very  evil  pur- 
poses. And  that  famous  person,  and  of  excellent 
learnin!5^,  Giacchettus  of  Geneva,  being-  by  his  wifr 
found  dead  in  the  unlawful  embraces  of  a  Strang*^ 
woman,  who  also  died  at  the  same  instant,  left  an 
excellent  example  of  God's  anger  upon  the  crime, 
and  an  evidence  that  he  was  then  judged  for  his 
intemperate  lust.'  Such  are  all  those  punishments 
which  are  natural  consequents  to  a  crime:  as  drop- 
sies, redness  of  eyes,  dissolution  of  nerves,  apo- 
plexies, to  continual  drunkenness  ;  to  intemperate 
eating,  short  lives  and  sudden  dealhs;  to  lust,  a 
caitive,  slavish  disposition,  and  a  foul,  diseased 
body  ;  fire  and  sword,  and  depopulations  of  towns 
<ind  villages,  the  consequents  of  ambition  and  un- 
just wars;  poverty  to  prodigality;  and  all  those 
judgments  which  happen  upon  cursings  and  hor- 
rid imprecations,  when  God  is,  under  a  curse,  called 
to  attest  a  lie,  and  to  connive  at  impudence ;  or 
when  the  oppressed  persons,  in  the  bitterness  of 
their  souls,  wish  evil  and  pray  for  vengeance  on 
their  oppressors;  or  that  the  church  upon  just 
cause  inflicts  spiritual  censures,  and  delivers 
unto  Satan,  or  curses  and  declares  tiie  divine 
sentence  against  sinners;  as  St.  Peter  against 
Ananias  and  Sapphira;  and  St.  Paul  against 
Elymas;  and,  of  old,  Moses  against  Pharaoh  and 
his    Egypt.  (Of  this  nature  also  was  the  plague 

'  Fj.\goi^  lib  ix.  c.  12 


OF    DIVINK    JIDO.MLNTS.  149 

of  a  withered  liand,  inflicted  upon  Jcrobo.im  for 
stretching-  forth  his  hand  to  strike  the  prophet.) 
In  these  and  all  such  instances  the  offspring  is  so 
like  the  parent  that  it  cannot  easily  be  concealed. 
Sometimes  the  crime  is  of  that  nature  that  it  cries 
aloud  for  vcn<i^eance,  or  is  threatened  with  a  special 
kind  of  punishment;  which,  by  the  observation  and 
experience  of  the  world,  hath  rejjularly  happened  to 
a  certain  sort  of  persons.  Such  are  dissolutions 
of  estates,  the  punishment  of  sacrileo^e  ;  a  descend- 
in<j  curse  upon  posterity  for  four  generations,  spe- 
cially threatened  to  the  crime  of  idolatry  ;  any 
plague  whatsoever  to  oppression  ;  untimely  death 
to  murder;  an  irtithriving  estate  to  the  detention  o( 
tithes,  or  whatsoever  is  God's  portion  allotted  for 
tiie  services  of  religion  ;  untimely  and  strange 
deaths  to  the  persecutors  of  Christian  religion : 
Nero  killed  himself;  Domitian  was  killed  by  his 
servants ;  Maximinus  and  Decius  were  murdered, 
together  with  their  children  ;  Valerianus  impri- 
soned, flayed,  and  slain  with  tortures,  by  Sapor,  king 
of  Persia  ;  Diocletian  perished  by  his  own  hand, 
and  his  house  was  burned  with  the  fate  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  with  fire  from  aliove  ;  Antiochus,  the 
president  under  Aurelian,  while  Agapetus  was  in 
liis  agony  and  sufferance  of  martyrdom,  cried  out 
of  a  flame  within  him,  and  died;  Flaccus  vomited 
out  his  entrails  presently  after  he  had  caused  Gre- 
gory, bishop  of  Spolcto,  to  be  slain  ;  and  Dioscorus, 
the  father  of  St.  Barbara,  accused  and  betrayed  his 
daughter  to  the  hangman's  cruelty,  for  being  a 
Christian,  and  he  died  by  the  hand  of  God,  by  fire 
from  heaven.  These  are  God's  tokens,  marks  upon 
the  body  of  infected  persons,  and  declare  the  ma. 


wo  CAUSES    AND    MANNER 

lignity   of  the   disease,  and  bid   us  all  beware  of 
those  tietermined  crimes. 

6.  Thirdly,  But  then  in  these  and  all  other  ac- 
cidents we  must  first  observe  from  the  cause  to  the 
effect,  and  then  judge  from  the  effect  concerning 
the  nature  and  the  degree  of  the  cause.  We  cannot 
conclude — this  family  is  lessened,  beggared,  or  ex- 
tinct, therefore  they  are  guilty  of  sacrilege:  but 
thus — they  are  sacrilegious,  and  God  hath  blotted 
out  their  name  from  among  the  posterities,  there- 
fore this  judgment  was  an  express  of  God's  anger 
against  sacrilege  :  the  judgment  will  not  conclude 
a  sin  ;  but  when  a  sin  infers  the  judgment  with 
a  legible  cliaracter  and  a  prompt  signification, 
not  to  understand  God's  choice  is  next  to  stupidity 
or  carelessness.  Arius  was  known  to  be  a  seditious, 
heretical,  and  dissembling  person,  .ind  liis  entrails 
descended  on  the  earth  when  he  went  to  cover  his 
feet:'  it  was  very  suspicious  that  this  was  tlie  pu- 
nishment of  those  sins  which  were  the  worst  in  him. 
But  he  that  shall  conclude  Arius  to  be  an  heretic 
or  seditious,  upon  no  other  ground  but  because  his 
bowels  gushed  out,  begins  imprudently,  and  pro- 
ceeds uncharitably.  But  it  is  considerable  that 
men  do  not  arise  to  great  crimes  on  the  sudden,  but 
by  degrees  of  carelessness  to  lesser  impieties,  and 
then  to  clamorous  sins.      And    God  is    therefore 


I Ruit  Arius  alva 

Infelix,  plus  mente  cadens,  lethuirique  peremptus 
Cum  Juda  commune  tulit,  qui  gutture  pendens 
Visceribus  curvatus  obit :  nee  pccna  sequestrat 
Quos  }>ar  culpa  ligat,  qui  majestatis  honori 
Vulnus  ab  ore  parant.     Hie  prodidit,  ille  diremit 

Sacrilega  de  voce. 

Poet.  Christ,  apud  Baron,  toni.  ti,  ad  snn. 
Christ.  33(» 


OF    niVrNE    JlDGMtNTS.  lol 

said  to  punish  f^vvni  crimes  or  aclicns  of  hiLjhesl 
malignity,  because  they  are  commonly  productions 
from  the  spirit  of  reprobation;  they  are  the  highest 
ascents,  and  suppose  a  body  of  sin.  And  therefore, 
altliough  the  judgment  may  be  intended  to  j)uni'-Ii 
all  our  sins,  yet  it  is  like  the  Syrian  army,  it  kills 
all  that  are  its  enemies,  but  it  hath  a  special  com- 
mission to  '  fight  against  none  but  the  king  of  Is- 
rael,' because  his  death  would  be  the  dissolution 
of  the  body.  And  if  God  humbles  a  man  for  his 
great  sin,  that  is,  for  those  acts  which  combine  ami 
consummate  all  the  rest,  possibly  the  body  of  sin 
may  sej)arate,  and  be  apt  to  be  scattered  and  sub- 
dued by  single  acts  and  instruments  of  mortifica- 
tion. And  therefore  it  is  but  reasonable,  in  our 
making  use  of  God's  judgments  upon  others,  to  think 
that  God  will  rather  strike  at  the  greatest  crimes; 
not  only  because  they  are  in  themselves  of  greatest 
malice  and  iniquity, but  because  they  are  the  sum 
total  of  the  rest,  and  by  being  great  progressions  in 
the  state  of  sin  suppose  all  the  rest  included  :  and 
we,  by  proportioning  and  observing  the  judgment 
to  the  highest,  acknowledge  the  whole  body  of  sin 
to  lie  under  the  curse,  though  the  greatest  only 
was  named,  and  called  upon  with  the  voice  ot 
thunder.  And  yet  because  it  sometimes  happens, 
that  upon  the  violence  of  a  great  and  new  occasion 
some  persons  leaj)  into  such  a  sin,  which  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  sinners  uses  to  be  the  eflect  or 
an  habitual  and  growing  state  ;  then  if  a  jiulgment 
happens,  it  is  clearly  appropriate  to  that  one  great 
crime,  which  as  of  itself  it  is  equivalent  to  a  vicious 
habit,  and  interrupts  the  acceptation  of  all  its  for- 
mer luntraries,  so  it  meets  with   a  curse,  such  us 


162  CAtSLS    AND    MANNEi; 

usually  God  chooses  for  the  punishment  of  a  whole 
body  and  state  of  sin.  However,  in  makinsi^  obser- 
vation upon  the  expresses  of  God's  anger,  we  must 
be  careful  that  we  reflect  not  with  any  bitterness 
or  scorn  upon  the  person  of  our  calamitous  bro- 
ther, lest  we  make  that  to  be  an  evil  to  him  whitli 
God  intends  for  his  benefit,  if  the  judgment  was 
medicinal ;  or  that  we  increase  not  the  load,  al- 
ready great  enough  to  sink  him  beneath  his  grave, 
if  the  judgment  was  intended  for  a  final  abscission. 
7.  Fourthly,  But  if  the  judgments  descend  upon 
ourselves,  we  are  to  take  another  course  :  not  to 
enquire  into  particulars  to  find  out  the  proportions, 
(for  that  can  only  be  a  design  to  part  with  just  so 
much  as  we  must  needs,)  but  to  mend  all  that  is 
amiss ;  for  then  only  we  can  be  secure  to  remove 
the  Achan,  when  we  keep  nothing  within  us  or 
about  us  that  may  provoke  God  to  jealousy  or 
wrath.  And  that  is  the  proper  product  of  holy 
fear,  which  God  intended  should  be  the  first  effect 
of  all  his  judgments.  And  of  this  God  is  so 
careful,  and  yet  so  kind  and  provident,  that  fear 
might  not  be  produced  always  at  the  expense  of  a 
great  suffering,  that  God  hath  provided  for  us  cer- 
tain prologues  of  judgment,  and  keeps  us  waking 
with  alarms,  that  so  he  might  reconcile  his  mercies 
with  our  duties.  Of  this  nature  are  epidemical 
diseases,  not  yet  arrived  at  us,  prodigious  tempests, 
thunder,  and  loud  noises  from  heaven  :  and  he  that 
will  not  fear  when  God  speaks  so  loud,  is  not  yet 
made  soft  with  the  impresses  and  perpetual  drop- 
pings of  religion.  Venerable  Bede  reports  of  St, 
Chad,  that  if  a  great  gust  of  wind  suddenly  arose. 
he  presently  made  some  holy  ejaculation,   to   beg 


OF    UIVINE    JUOOMENTS.  153 

favour  of  God  for  all  mankind,  who  might  possibly 
be  concerned  in  the  efiects  of  that  wind  :  but  if  a 
storm  succeeded,  he  fell  prostrate  to  tlie  earth,  and 
grew  as  violent  in  j)rayer  as  the  storm  was  either 
ut  land  or  sea:  but  if  God  added  thunder  and 
lightning,  he  went  to  the  church,  and  there  spent 
all  his  time  during  the  tempest  in  reciting  Litanies, 
Psalms,  and  other  holy  prayers,  till  it  pleased  God 
to  restore  his  favour,  and  to  seem  to  forget  his  an- 
ger.' And  the  good  bishop  added  this  reason  ; 
because  these  are  the  extensions  and  stretchings 
forth  of  God's  hand,  and  yet  he  did  not  strike; 
but  he  that  trembles  not  when  he  sees  God's  arm 
held  forth  to  strike  us,  understande  neither  God's 
mercies  nor  his  own  danger;  he  neither  knows 
what  those  horrors  were  which  the  people  saw  from 
Mount  Sinai, nor  what  the  glories  and  amazements 
shall  be  at  the  great  day  of  judgment.  And  if 
this  religious  man  had  seen  Tullus  Hostilius,  the 
lioman  king,  and  Anastasius,  a  Christian  em- 
peror, but  a  reputed  heretic,  struck  dead  with 
thunderbolts,  and  their  own  houses  made  their 
urns  to  keep  their  ashes  in,  there  could  have  been 
no  posture  bumble  enough,  no  prayers  devout 
enough,  no  place  holy  enough,  nothing  sufficiently 
expressive  of  his  fear,  and  his  humility,  and  his 
adoration  and  leligion  to  the  almighty  and  infinite 
power  and  glorious  mercy  of  God,  sending  out  his 
emissaries  to  denounce  war  with  designs  pt'  peace. 
A  great  Italian  general,  seeing  the  sudden  death 
of  Alfonsus,  duke  of  Ferrara,  kneeled  down  in- 
stantly, saying,  "  Antl  shall  not  this  sight  make 
me  religious  ?"     Three  and  twenty  tiiousand   fell 

•   Hist.  (rent.  .Vn.'loi,  lib,  iii.  c  18 


154  CALSKS    AM)    MANNER 

in  one  night  in  the  Israelitish  cwnp,  uho  were  nU 
slain  for  fornication.'  And  this  so  prodi^ioua  »- 
judgment  was  recorded  in  Scripture  for  our  t>- 
ample  and  affrightment,  that  we  should  not  with 
such  freedom  entertain  a  crime  which  destroyed  so 
numerous  a  body  of  men  in  the  darkness  of  one 
evening.  Fear  and  modesty,  and  universal  refor- 
mation, are  the  purposes  of  Gf  d's  judgments  upon 
us,  or  in  our  neighbourhood, 

8.  Fifthly,  Concerning  jud^'/  -nts  happening  to 
a  nation  or  a  church,  the  consicltration  is  particu- 
lar, because  there  are  fewer  capacities  of  making 
sins  to  become  national  than  personal ;  and  there- 
fore if  we  understand  when  a  sin  is  national,  we  may 
the  rather  understand  the  meaning  of  God's  hand 
when  he  strikes  a  peoj)le.  For  national  sins  grow 
liigherand  higher,  not  merely  according  to  thedegree 
of  the  sin,  or  the  intention  alone,  but  according  to 
the  extension ;  according  to  its  being  national,  so 
it  is  productive  of  more  or  less  miscliief  to  a  king- 
dom. Customary  iniquities  amongst  the  people 
do  then  amount  to  the  account  of  national  sins, 
when  they  are  of  so  universal  practice  as  to  take 
in  well  near  every  particular ;  such  as  was  that  of 
Sodom,  not  to  leave  ten  righteous  in  all  the  coun- 
try ;*  and  such  were  the  sins  of  the  old  world,  who 
left  but  eight  persons  to  esca])e  the  angry  baptism 
of  the  flood.  And  such  was  the  murmur  of  the 
<;hildren  of  Israel,  refusing  to  march  up  to  Canaaa 
at  the  commandment  of  God;  they  all  murmured 
but  Caleb  and  Joshua.  And  this  God,  in  the  case 
of  the  Amalekites,  calls  the  fulfilling  of  their  sins, 
and  a  filling   up  the  measure  of  their  iniquities* 

>   1  Cor.  X.  8.  Ilor.  lib,  iii   Od.  6. 


ftr    DIVINE    JUDGMENTS.  165 

And  hither  also  I  reckon  the  defection  of  the  ten 
tribes  from  the  house  of  Juclah,  and  the  Samaritan 
schism  ;  these  caused  the  total  extirpation  of  the 
offending  people.  For  although  these  sins  were 
personal  and  private  at  first,  yet  when  tliey  come 
to  be  universal  by  diffusion  and  dissemination, 
and  the  good  people  remaining  among  them  are 
but  like  drops  of  wine  in  a  tun  of  water,  of  no  con- 
sideration with  God,  save  only  to  the  preservation 
of  their  own  persons ;'  then  although  tire  persons 
be  private,  yet  all  private  or  singular  persons  make 
the  nation.  But  this  hath  happened  but  seldom 
in  Christianity  :  I  think  indeed  never,  except  in 
the  case  of  mutinies  and  rebellion  against  their 
lawful  prince,  or  the  attesting  violence  done  in 
unjust  wars.  But  God  only  knows,  and  no  man 
can  say,  when  any  sin  is  national  by  diffusion  : 
and  therefore  in  this  case  we  cannot  make  any 
certain  judgment  or  advantage  to  ourselves,  or  very 
rarely,  by  observing  the  changes  of  providence 
upon  a  people. 

9.  But  the  next  above  this,  in  order  to  the  pro- 
curing popular  judgments,  is  public  impunities; 
the  not  doing  justice  upon  criminals  publicly 
complained  of  and  demanded,  especially  when  the 
persons  interested  call  for  justice  and  execution  of 
good  laws,  and  the  prince's  arm  is  at  liberty  and 
in  full  strength,  and  there  is  no  contrary  reason  in 
the  particular  instance  to  make  compensation  to 
the  public  for  the  omission,  or  no  care  taken  to 
Batisfy  the  particular.  Abimelech  thought  he  had 
reason  to  be  angry  with  Isaac  for  saying  Rebecca 
was  his  sister  :   for  '  one  of  the  people  might  have 

'  Eiek.  XIV.  20. 


156  CAUSES    AND    MANNER 

lain  Willi  thy  wife,  and  thou  shouldst  have  brought 
evil  upon  us:'  meaning',  that  the  man  should  have 
escaped  unpunished,  by  reason  of  the  mistake ; 
which  very  impunity  he  feared  might  be  ex- 
pounded to  be  a  countenance  and  encouras^ement 
to  the  sin.  But  this  was  no  more  than  his  fear. 
The  case  of  the  Benjamites  comes  home  to  this  pre- 
sent article;  for  they  refused  to  do  justice  upon 
the  men  that  had  ravished  and  killed  the  Levite's 
concubine;  they  lost  twenty-five  thousand  in  battle, 
their  cities  were  destroyed,  and  the  whole  tribe 
almost  extinguished.  For  punishing  public  and 
great  acts  of  injustice  is  called  in  Scripture  'put- 
ting away  the  evil  from  the  land;''  because  to 
this  purpose  the  sword  is  put  into  the  prince's 
hand,  and  lie  'bears  the  sv^ord  in  vain'  who 
ceases  to  protect  his  people  :  and  not  to  punish 
the  evil  is  a  voluntary  retention  of  it ;  unless  a 
special  case  intervene  in  which  the  prince  thinks 
it  convenient  to  give  a  particular  pardon  ;  provided 
this  be  not  encouragement  to  others,  nor  without 
great  reason  big  enough  to  make  compensation  for 
the  particular  omission,  and  with  care  to  render 
some  other  satisfaction  to  the  person  injured.  In 
allother  cases  of  impunity,  that  sin  becomes  national 
by  forbearing,  which  in  the  acting  was  personal : 
and  it  is  certain  the  impunity  is  a  spring  of  uni- 
versal evils;  it  is  no  thank  to  the  public  if  the  best 
man  be  not  as  bad  as  the  worst. 

10.  But  there  is  a  step  beyond  this,  and  of  a 
more  public  concernment :  such  are  the  laws  of 
Omri,  when  a  nation  consents  to  and  makes  un- 
gouly  statues.     When  mischief  is  established  as  u 

>  Deut.xvii.  12  ;  xix.  13,  19;  xxi.  y,  21,  et  alibi. 


OF    DIVINE    JDDGMF.NTS,  107 

law,  tlien  llie  nation  is  engaged  to  some  purpose. 
When  I  see  the  people  despise  their  governors, scorn 
and  rob  and  disadvantage  the  ministers  of  religion, 
make  rude  addresses  to  God,  to  his  temple,  to  his 
Bucraments,  I  look  upon  it  as  the  insolency  of  an 
untaught  people,  who  would  as  readily  do  the 
contrary,  if  the  fear  of  God  and  the  king  were 
upon  them  by  good  examples,  and  pr»cepts,  and 
laws,  and  severe  executions.  And  further  yet, 
when  the  more  public  and  exemplary  persons  are 
without  sense  of  religion,  without  a  dread  of  ma- 
jesty, without  reverence  to  the  church,  without  im- 
presses of  conscience,  and  the  tendernesses  of  a 
religious  fear  towards  God  ;  as  the  persons  are 
greater  in  estimation  of  law,  and  in  their  influences 
upon  the  people,  so  the  score  of  the  nation  ad- 
vances, and  there  is  more  to  be  paid  for  in  popu- 
lar judgments.  But  when  iniquity  or  irreligion  is 
made  a  sanction,  and  eitiier  God  must  be  disiion- 
oured,  or  the  church  exauctorated,  or  her  rites  in- 
vaded by  a  law,  then  the  fortune  of  the  kingdom  is 
at  stake.  No  sin  engages  a  nation  so  much,  or  is 
so  public,  so  solemn  iniquity  as  is  a  wicked  law. 
Therefore  it  concerns  princes  and  states  to  secure 
the  piety  and  innocency  of  their  laws;  and  if  there 
be  any  evil  laws,  which  upon  just  grounds  may  be 
thought  productive  of  God's  anger,  because  a  pub- 
lic misdemeanour  cannot  be  expiated  but  by  a 
public  act  of  repentance,  or  a  public  calamity,  the 
laws  must  either  have  tlieir  edsre  abated  by  a 
desuetude,  or  be  laid  asleep  by  a  non-execution, 
or  dismembered  by  contrary  privisos,  or  have  the 
sting  drawn  forth  by  interpretation,  or  else  by  alj- 
rogation  be  quite  rescinded.  IJut  these  are  n.-itional 
sins  within  itself,   or  within  it.s  own   body,  l)y  the 


158  CAUSES    AND    MANNER 

act  of  the  body  (I  mean)  diffusive  or  representa- 
tive; and  they  are  like  the  personal  sins  of  men  in 
or  against  their  own  bodies  in  the  matter  of  sobriety. 
There  are  others  in  the  matter  of  justice,  as  the 
nation  relates  to  other  people  communicating  in 
public  intercourse. 

1 1 .  For  as  the  intercourse  between  man  and 
man  in  the  actions  of  commutative  and  distribu- 
tive justice  is  the  proper  matter  of  virtues  and 
vices  personal ;  so  are  the  transactions  between 
nation  and  nation  against  the  public  rules  of  jus- 
tice;  sins  national  directly,  and  in  their  first  origi- 
nal, and  answer  to  injustice  between  man  and 
man.  Such  are  commencing  war  upon  unjust 
titles,  invasion  of  neighbours'  territories,  confede- 
racies and  aids  upon  tyrannical  interest,  wars 
against  true  religion  or  sovereignt}',  violation  of 
the  laws  of  nations,  which  they  have  consented  to 
us  the  public  instrument  of  accord  and  negociation, 
breach  of  public  faith,  defending  pirates,  and  the 
like.  When  a  public  judgment  comes  upon  a  na- 
tion, these  things  are  to  be  thought  upon  ;  that  we 
may  not  think  ourselves  acquitted  by  crying  out 
against  swearing,  and  drunkenness,  and  cheating 
in  manufactures,  which,  unless  they  be  of  univer- 
sa-l  dissemination,  and  made  national  by  diffusion, 
are  paid  for  upon  a  personal  score ;  and  the  private 
infelicities  of  our  lives  will  either  expiate  or  punish 
them  severely.  But  while  the  people  mourn  for 
those  sins  of  which  their  low  condition  is  capable, 
sins  that  may  produce  a  popular  fever,  or  perhaps 
the  plague,  wliere  the  misery  dwells  in  cottages, 
and  the  princes  often  have  indemnity,  as  it  was 
in  the  case  of  David ;  yet  we  may  not  hope 
to  appease  a   war,  to   master  a   rebellion,  to  cure 


UF    blVINK    .ILUGMENT8.  I'V") 

tl»e  public  dislemperatures  of  a  kinj^doni,  which 
threaten  not  the  people  only,  or  the  frovernors 
also,  but  even  the  government  itself,  unless  the 
sins  of  a  more  public  capacity  be  cut  off  by 
public  declarations,  or  other  acts  of  natural  jus- 
tice and  religion.  But  the  duty  which  concerns 
us  all  in  such  cases  is,  that  every  man  in  every  ca- 
pacity siiould  enquire  into  himself,  and  for  his  own 
portion  of  the  calamity  put  in  his  own  syml)ol 
of  emendation  for  his  particular,  and  his  prayers 
for  the  public  interest.  In  uhich  it  is  not  safe 
that  any  private  persons  should  descend  to  par- 
ticular censures  of  tlie  crimes  of  princes  and  states ; 
no,  not  towards  God,  unless  the  matter  be  notorious 
and  past  a  question ;  but  it  is  a  sufficient  assoil- 
nient  of  this  part  of  his  duty,  if,  wlien  he  hatii  set 
his  own  house  in  order,  he  would  pray,  with  inde- 
finite significations  of  his  charity  and  care  of  the 
public,  that  God  would  put  it  into  tlie  hearts  of  all 
whom  it  concerns,  to  endeavour  the  removal  of 
the  sin  that  hath  brought  the  exterminating  angel 
upon  tlie  nation.  But  yet  there  are  sometimes 
great  lines  drawn  by  God  in  the  expresses  of  an- 
ger in  some  judgments  upon  a  nation  :  and  when 
llie  judgment  is  of  that  danger  as  to  invade  the 
very  constitution  of  a  kingdom,  the  proportions 
ihat  judgments  many  times  keep  to  their  sins  in- 
timate, that  there  is  some  national  sin  in  which, 
eitlier  by  diffusion,  or  representation,  or  in  the  di- 
ri'ct  matter  of  sins,  (as  false  oaths,  unjust  wars, 
wicked  confederacies,  or  ungodly  laws,)  the  nation 
in  the  public  capacity  is  delinquent. 

12.  J^or  as  the  nation  hath  in  sins  a  capacity  dis- 
tinct from  the  sins  of  all  the  people,  inasmuch  as 
li)e  nation  is  united  in  one  heail,  guarded  by  a  dis- 


160  CAUSES    AND    MANNTR 

tinct  and  a  lil^her  angel,  (as  Persia  by  St.Michael,) 
transacts  affairs  in  a  public  right,  transmits  influ- 
ence to  all  particulars  from  a  common  fountain, 
and  hath  intercourse  with  other  collective  bodies, 
who  also  distinguish  from  their  own  particulars; 
so  likewise  it  hath  punishments  distinct  from  those 
infelicities  which  vex  particulars ;  punishments 
proportionable  to  itself  and  its  own  sins :  such  as 
are  change  of  governments,  of  better  into  worse,  of 
monarchy  into  aristocracy,  and  so  to  the  lowest 
ebb  of  democracy;  death  of  princes,  infant  kings, 
foreign  invasions,  civil  wars,  a  disputable  title  to 
the  crown,  making  a  nation  tributary,  conquest  by 
a  foreigner,  and,  which  is  worst  of  all,  removing 
the  candlestick  from  a  people,  by  extinction  of  the 
church,  or  that  which  is  necessary  to  its  conserva- 
tion, the  several  orders  and  ministries  of  religion. 
And  the  last  hath  also  proper  sins  of  its  own  an- 
alogy ;  such  as  are  false  articles  in  the  public  con- 
fessions of  a  church,  schism  from  the  catiiolic,  pub- 
lic scandals,  a  general  viciousness  of  the  clergy,  an 
indifferency  in  religion,  without  warmth  and  holy 
fires  of  zeal,  and  diligent  pursuance  of  all  its  just 
and  holy  interests.  Now  in  these  and  all  parallel 
cases,  when  God  by  punishments  hath  probably 
marked  and  distinguished  the  crime,  it  concerns 
public  persons  to  be  the  more  forward  and  impor- 
tunate in  consideration  of  public  irregularities ; 
and  for  the  private  also,  not  to  neglect  their  own 
particulars;  for  by  that  means,  although  not  cer- 
tainly, yet  probably,  they  may  secure  themselves 
from  falling  in  the  public  calamity.  It  is  not  in- 
fallibly sure  that  holy  persons  shall  not  be  smitten 
by  the  destroying  angel ;  for  God  in  such  deaths 
hath  many  ends  of  mercy,  and  some  of  providence 


Uf    lilVlNi:    JUDfiMCNTS.  lOl 

to  serve;  but  such  private  and  personal  emenda- 
tions and  devotions  are  the  greatest  securities  of  the 
men  against  the  judgment,  or  the  evil  of  it,  pre- 
serving them  in  this  life,  or  wafting  them  over  to 
a  belliu'.  Thus  many  of  tlie  Lord's  champions 
did  fall  in  battle,  and  the  armies  of  the  Benjaniites 
did  twice  prevail  upon  the  juster  people  of  all 
Israel ;  and  the  Greek  empire  hath  declined  and 
slirunk  under  the  fortune  and  power  of  tlie  Otto- 
man family  ;  and  the  holy  land,  which  was  twice 
possessed  by  ChriAian  princes,  is  now  in  the  do- 
minion of  unchristened  Saracens;  and  in  the  pro- 
duction of  these  alterations  many  a  gallant  and 
pious  person  suflered  the  evils  of  war,  and  the 
change  of  an  unlimely  death. 

13.  But  the  way  ibr  the  whole  nation  to  pro- 
ceed in  cases  (A'  epidemical  diseases,  wars,  great 
judgments,  and  popular  cahimities,  is  to  do  in  the 
]»ublic  proportion  the  same  that  every  man  is  to 
do  for  his  private;  by  public  acts  of  justice,  re- 
pentance, fastings,  pious  laws,  and  execution  of 
just  and  religious  edicts,  making  peace,  quitting  of 
unjust  interests,  declaring  ))ublicly  against  a  crime, 
protesting  in  behalf  of'  the  contrary  virtue  or  re- 
ligion. And  to  this  also  every  man,  as  he  is  a 
member  of  the  body  j)olilic,  must  co-operate  ;  that 
by  a  repentance  in  difiiision  hclj)  may  come,  as 
well  as  by  a  sin  of  universid  dissemination  tiie 
plague  was  hastened  and  invited  the  rather.  But 
in  these  cases  all  the  \\ork  of  discerning  and  pro- 
nouncing concerning  the  cause  of  the  judgment,  as 
it  must  be  without  asperity,  and  only  for  designs  of 
correction  and  emendation,  so  it  must  be  done  by 
kings  and  prophets,  and  the  assistance  of  other 
j^ublio  persons,  to  whon?  the  public  is  committetU 
VOL.     11.  ^3 


IG2  CAUSES    AND    MANNER 

Josliiui  caf^t  lots  upon  Aclian,  and  discovered  the 
public  trouble  in  a  private  instance;  and  of  old 
the  prophets  had  it  in  commission  to  reprove  the 
popular  iniquity  of  nations,  and  the  confederate 
sins  of  kingdoms;  and  in  this  Christianity  altered 
nothing.  And  when  this  is  done  modestly,  pru- 
dently, humbly,  and  penitently,  oftentimes  the 
tables  turn  immediately,  but  always  in  due  time; 
and  a  great  alteration  in  a  kingdom  becomes  the 
greatest  blessing  in  the  world,  and  fastens  the 
church,  or  the  crown,  or  the  public  peace,  in  bands 
of  great  continuance  and  security  ;  and  it  may  be 
li.e  next  age  shall  feel  the  benefits  of  our  sufferance 
and  repentance.  And  therefore,  as  we  must  endea- 
vour to  secure  it,  so  we  must  not  be  too  decretory 
in  the  case  of  others,  or  disconsolate  or  diffident  in 
our  own,  when  it  may  so  happen,  that  all  succeed- 
ing generations  shall  see  that  God  pardoned  ua 
and  loved  us  even  w^hen  he  smote  us.  Let  us  ail 
learn  to  fear  and  walk  humbly.  The  churches  of 
Laodicea  and  the  Colossians  suffered  a  great  ca- 
lamity within  a  little  while  after  the  Spirit  of  God 
had  sent  them  two  epistles  by  the  ministry  of  St. 
Paul :  their  cities  were  buried  in  an  earthquake ; 
and  yet  we  have  reason  to  think  they  were  churches 
beloved  of  God,  and  congregations  of  holy  people. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  and  powerful  God,  thou  just  and  righteous  Governor 
of  the  world,  who  callest  all  orders  of  men  hy  precepts,  pro- 
mises, and  threatenings,  by  mercies,  and  by  judgments,  teach  us 
to  admire  and  adore  all  the  wisdom,  the  effects  and  infinite  va- 
rieties of  thy  providence  ;  and  make  us  to  dispose  ourselves  so,  by 


Ot    DIVINE    JinOMENTS.  163 

«bedience,  by  repentance,  by  all  the  manners  of  holy  living.  tha» 
we  may  never  provoke  thee  to  jealousy,  i.^iuch  less  to  wrath  and 
indignation  against  us.  Keep  far  from  us  ihe  sword  of  the  de- 
stroying angel,  and  let  us  never  perisli  in  the  public  expresses  of 
thy  wrath,  in  diseases  epidemical,  with  the  furies  of  war,  with 
calamitous,  sudden,  and  horrid  accidL'nts,  wiih  unusual  diseases  ; 
unless  that  our  so  strange  fall  be  more  for  thy  glory  and  our 
eternal  benefit,  and  then  thy  will  be  done :  we  beg  thy  grace, 
that  we  may  cheerfully  conform  to  thy  holy  will  and  pleasure. 
Lord,  open  our  understandings,  that  we  inay  know  the  meaning 
of  thy  voice,  and  the  signification  of  thy  language,  when  thou 
■peakest  from  heaven  in  signs  and  judgments  :  and  let  a  holy  fear 
GO  soften  our  spirits,  and  an  intense  love  so  inflame  and  sanctify  our 
cksires.  that  we  may  apprehend  every  mtimation  of  thy  pleasure 
■t  its  first  and  remotest  and  most  obscure  representment ;  that 
to  we  may  with  repentance  go  out  to  meet  thee,  and  prevent  the 
expresses  of  thine  anger.  Let  thy  restraining  grace,  and  the  ob- 
•ervation  of  the  issues  of  thy  justice,  so  allay  our  spirits-,  that 
we  be  not  severe  and  forward  in  conaemning  others,  nor  back> 
w&ru  m  passing  sentence  upon  ourselves.  JVIake  us  to  obey  thy 
voice  described  in  holy  Scripture,  to  tremble  at  thy  voice  ex- 
pressed in  wonders  and  great  effects  of  providence,  to  condemn 
none  but  ourselves,  nor  to  enter  into  the  recesses  of  thy  sanctuary 
and  search  the  forbidden  records  of  predestination  ;  but  tliat  we 
may  read  our  duty  in  the  pages  of  revelation,  not  in  the  labels  of 
accidental  effects:  that  tliy  judgments  may  confirm  thy  word, 
and  tliy  word  tea.  h  us  nur  duty ;  and  we,  by  such  excellent  instru- 
ments, may  enter  in  and  grow  up  in  '.he  ways  of  godliness,  through 
Jesus  Chii>t  cur  Lord.     Amen. 


164       FKOM  THE  DKATH  OF  LAZARUS 


SECTION  XV. 

of  the  Accidents  happening  from  the  Death  of  LazOf 
rtis,  until  the  Death  and  Burial  of  Jesus. 

1.  While  Jesus  was  in  Galilee,  messengers  came 
to  him  from  Martha  and  her  sister  Mary,  that  he 
would  hasten  into  Judasa,  to  Bethany,  to  relieve  the 
sickness  and  imminent  dangers  of  their  brother 
Lazarus.  But  he  deferred  his  going  till  Lazarus 
was  dead ;  purposing  to  give  a  great  probation  of 
his  divinity,  power,  and  mission,  by  a  glorious  mi- 
racle, and  to  give  God  glory,  and  to  receive  reflec- 
tions of  the  glory  upon  himself:  for  after  he  had 
stayed  two  days,  lie  called  his  disciples  to  go  with 
him  into  Judsea,  telling  them  that  Lazarus  was 
dead,  but  he  would  raise  him  out  of  that  sleep  of 
death.  But  by  that  time  Jesus  was  arrived  at 
Bethany,  he  found  that  Lazarus  had  been  dead 
four  days,  and  now  near  to  putrefaction.  But 
when  Martha  and  Mary  met  him,  weeping  their 
pious  tears  for  their  dead  brother,  Jesus  suffered 
the  passions  of  pity  and  humanity,  and  wept ;  dis- 
tilling that  precious  liquor  into  the  grave  of  Laza- 
rus, watering  the  dead  plant,  that  it  might  spring 
into  a  new  life,  and  raise  his  head  above  the 
ground. 

2.  When  Jesus  had,  by  his  words  of  comfort  and 
institution,  strengthened  the  faith  of  tiie  two  mourn- 
ing sisters,  and  commanded  the  stone  to  be  removed 
from  the  grave,  he  made  an  address  of  adoration 
and  encharist  to  his  Father,  confessing  his  perpe- 
tual propensity  to  hear  him  ;  and  then  cried  out^ 
•  Lazarus,  come   forth  !'     Anfl    he   that  was  dead 


TO    THF    Bl'RIAL    OF    JESUS,  1C5 

came  forth  from  his  bed  of  darkness,  with  his  night- 
clothes  on  him,  whom  when  the  apostles  had  un- 
loosed at  the  command  of  Jesus,  he  went  to  Bethany. 
And  many  that  were  present  believed  on  him  ;  but 
others,  wondering  and  malicious,  went  and  told  the 
Pharisees  the  story  of  the  miracle;  who,  upon  that 
advice,  called  their  great  council,  whose  great  and 
solemn  cognizance  was  of  the  greater  causes  of 
prophets,  of  kings,  and  of  the  holy  law.  At  this 
great  assembly  it  was  that  Caiaphas,  the  high- 
priest,  prophesied  that  it  was  expedient  one  should 
<lie  for  the  people :  and  thence  they  determined 
the  death  of  Jesus :  but  he,  knowing  they  had 
passed  a  decretory  sentence  against  him,  retired  to 
the  city  Ephraim,  in  the  tribe  of  Judah,  near  the 
desert,  where  he  stayed  a  few  days,  till  the  ap- 
proximation of  the  feast  of  Easter. 

3.  Against  wiiich  feast,  when  Jesus  with  his  dis- 
ciples was  going  to  Jerusalem,  he  told  ihem  the 
event  of  the  journey  would  be,  that  the  Jews  should 
deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles;  that  they  should 
scourge  him,  and  mock  him,  and  crucify  him,  and 
the  third  day  he  should  rise  again.  After  which 
discourse,  tlie  mother  of  Zehedee's  children  begged 
of  Jesus  for  her  two  sons,  that  one  of  them  might 
sit  at  his  right  hand,  the  other  at  the  left,  in  his 
kingdom.  For  no  discourses  of  his  passion,  or  in- 
timations of  the  mysteriousness  of  his  kingdom, 
could  yet  put  them  into  right  understandings  of 
their  condition  :  but  Jesus,  whose  heart  an<l 
thoughts  were  full  of  fancy  and  apprehensions  of 
the  neighbour  p.nssion,  gave  ihem  answer  in  pro- 
portion to  his  present  conceptions  and  their  future 
condition:  for  if  they  desired  the  honours  of  his 
kingdom,   such    as   tliey    were,  thoy   sliould    have 


160  FROM    TflF.    1)K\TH    OF    LAZARUS 

them,  unless  themselves  did  decline  them  ;  lliey 
should  drink  of  his  cup,  and  dip  in  his  lavatory, 
and  be  washed  with  his  baptism,  and  sit  in  his 
kingdom,  if  the  heavenly  Father  had  prepared  it 
for  them :  but  the  donation  of  that  immediately 
was  an  issue  of  divine  election  and  predestination, 
and  was  only  competent  to  them  who,  by  holy 
living  and  patient  suffering,  put  themselves  into  a 
disposition  of  becoming  vessels  of  election. 

4.  But  as  Jesus  in  this  journey  came  near 
Jericho,  he  cures  a  blind  man,  who  sat  begging  by 
the  way-side  :  and  espying  Zacchseus,  the  chief  of 
the  publicans,  upon  a  tree,  (that  he,  being  low  in 
stature,  might  upon  that  advantage  of  station  see 
Jesus  passing  by,)  he  invited  himself  to  his  house; 
who  received  him  with  gladness  and  repentance  oi 
his  crimes,  purging  his  conscience,  and  filling  liis 
heart  and  house  with  joy  and  sanctity  ;  for,  imme- 
diately upon  tlie  arrival  of  the  Muster  at  his  house, 
he  offered  reslilution  to  all  persons  whom  he  had 
injured,  and  satisfaction,  and  half  of  his  remanent 
estate  he  gave  to  the  poor ;  and  so  gave  the  fairest 
entertainment  to  Jesus,  who  brought  along  with 
him  salvation  to  his  house.  There  it  was  that  he 
spake  the  parable  of  the  king  who  concredited 
divers  talents  to  his  servants  ;  and  having  at  his 
return  exacted  an  account,  rewarded  them  who 
had  improved  their  bank,  and  been  faithful  in  their 
trust,  with  rewards  proportionable  to  their  capacity 
and  improvement;  but  the  negligent  servant,  who 
had  not  meliorated  his  stock,  was  punished  with  ab- 
legation  and  confinement  to  outer  darkness  :  and 
from  hence  sprang  up  that  dogmatical  proposition, 
which  is  mysterious  and  determined  in  Christianity; 
'  To  him  thai   hat'i   shall  be  giv<'n  ;  and   from   hiiu 


■i«t    fill:  lU.'Rr.i.  OF  JKSL'S.  lo7 

ihat  liiilli  not  shall  l)e  taken  away  even  what  lie 
hath.*  After  this,  Ljoiny  foilh  of  Jericho,  he  cured 
two  olind  men  upon  the  way. 

5.  Six  days  before  Easter  Jesus  came  to  Bethany, 
where  he  was  feasted  by  Martha  and  Mary ;  and 
accompanied  by  Lazarus,  w  ho  sat  at  the  table  with 
Jesus.  But  Mary  brouy;ht  a  pound  of  nard  pisttc,' 
and,  as  formerly  she  had  done,  again  anoints  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  and  fills  the  house  with  the  odour, 
till  God  himself  smelt  thence  a  savour  of  a  sweet- 
smelling  sacrifice:  but  Judas  Iscariot,  the  thief 
and  the  traitor,  repined  at  the  vanity  of  the  expense, 
as  he  pretended,  because  it  might  have  been  sold 
for  three  hundred  pence,  and  have  been  given  to 
the  poor.  But  Jesus,  in  his  reply,  taught  us,  that 
there  is  an  c)pj)ortunity  for  actions  of  religion  as 
well  as  of  charity.  Mary  did  this  against  the 
burial  of  Jesus ;  and  her  religion  was  accepted  by 
him,  to  whose  honours  the  holocaust  of  love  and 
the  oblations  of  alms-deeds  are  in  their  proper  sea- 
sons direct  actions  of  worship  and  duty.  But  at 
this  meeting  there  came  many  Jews  to  see  Lazarus, 
who  was  raised  from  death,  as  well  as  to  see  Jesus  : 
und  because  by  occasion  of  his  resurrection  many 
of  them  believed  on  Jesus,  therefore  the  Pharisees 
deliberated  about  putting  Iwm  to  death.'  But  God, 
in  his  glorious  providence,  was  pleased  to  preserve 
him  as  a  trumpet  of  his  glories,  and  a  testimony  of 
the  miracles,  thirty  years  after  the  death  of  Jesus. 

6.  The  next  day,  being  the  fifth  day  before  the 
passover,  Jesus  came  to  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives  ;  and  sent  his  disciples  to  Bethphage,  a  vil- 

■  Pisticam,  id  esi  spicatam,  comiptc,  uti  ex  Latinis  fere  solent 
Greci.     Vide  Erasm.  in  14  Marci. 
"   Kpijihan  cont.  IManich. 


IfiS  FROM    THK    DF-ATH    OK    LAZARUS 

lage  in  the  neighbourhood,  commanding  them  to 
unloose  an  ass  and  a  colt,  and  bring  them  to  him, 
and  to  tell  the  owners  it  was  done  for  the  Muster's 
use:  and  they  did  so.  And  when  they  brought 
the  ass  to  Jesus,  he  rides  on  him  to  Jerusalem: 
and  the  people,  having  notice  of  his  approach, 
took  branches  of  palm-trees,  and  went  out  to  met  t 
him,  strewing  branches  and  garments  in  the  way, 
crying  out,  '  Hosannah  to  the  Son  of  David !'' 
Which  was  a  form  of  exclamation  used  to  the  ho- 
nour of  God,  and  in  great  solemnities  ;  and  signifies 
adoration  to  the  Son  of  David,  by  the  rite  y)i  car- 
rying branches ;  which  when  they  used  in  proces- 
sion about  their  altars  they  used  to  pray,  "Lord, 
save  us ;  Lord,  prosper  us  :"*  which  hath  occasioned 
the  reddition  of  Hoschiannah  to  be,  amongst  some, 
that  prayer  which  they  repeated  at  the  carrying  of 
the  Hoschiannah,  as  if  itself  did  signify,  "  Lord, 
save  us."  But  this  honour  was  so  great  and  unusual 
to  be  done  even  unto  kings,  that  the  Pharisees, 
knowing  this  to  be  an  appropriate  manner  of  ad- 
dress to  God,  said  one  to  another  by  way  of  won- 
der, '  Hear  ye  what  these  men  say  ?'  for  they  were 
troubled  to  hear  the  people  revere  him  as  a  God. 

7.  When  Jesus  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  '  be- 
held Jerusalem,  he  wept  over  it,'  and  foretold  great 
sadnesses  and  infelicities  futurely  contingent  to  it: 
which  not  only  happened  in  the  sequel  of  tlie 
story,  according  to  the  main  issues  and  significa- 
tions of  this  prophecy,  but  even  to  minutes  and  cir- 

'  'Ti/'7jXa»'  aptrap  Kj  "^{(pdvcov  auxrov  yAVKi^v.  Pindar. 
V'ocat  palmarum  ramos,  Olymp.  Altissimarum  virtutum  et  coro- 
narum  florem  suavem. 

*  Drusius  de  vocib.  Hcb.  N.  T.  c.  19.  Canin.  de  locit 
K.T. 


TO   rur.  BURrAL  or  jf.sus.  If»9 

cumstances  it  was  verified  ;  for  in  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  \\  liere  Jesus  shed  tears  over  perishing  Jeru- 
salem, the  Romans  first  pitched  tlieir  tents  when 
they  came  to  its  final  overthrow.'  From  thence 
descending  to  the  city,  he  went  into  the  temple, 
and  still  the  acclamations  followed  him;  till  the 
Pharisees  were  ready  to  burst  with  the  noises 
abroad,  and  the  tumults  of  envy  and  scorn  within; 
and  by  observing  that  all  their  endeavours  to  sup- 
press his  glories  were  but  like  clasping  their  hands 
to  veil  the  sun,  and  that,  in  despite  of  all  their  stra- 
tagems, the  whole  nation  was  become  disciple  to 
the  glorious  Nazarene.  And  there  he  cured  certain 
persons  that  were  blind  and  lame. 

8.  But  while  he  abode  at  Jerusalem,  '  certain 
(ireeks,  who  came  to  the  feast  to  worship,' made 
tlieir  address  to  Philip,  that  they  might  be  brought 
to  Jesus.  '  Philip  tells  Andrew,  and  they  both  tell 
Jesus ;'  who,  having  admitted  them,  discoursed 
many  things  concerning  his  passion ;  and  then 
prayed  a  petition,  which  is  the  end  of  his  own  suf- 
ferings, and  of  all  human  actions,  and  the  purpose 
of  the  whole  creation  :  '  Father,  glorify  thy  name;' 
to  which  he  was  answered  by  a  voice  from  heaven, 
'  I  liave  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  :\gain.' 
But  this,  nor  the  whole  series  of  miracles  that  he 
did,  the  mercies,  the  cures,  nor  the  divine  discourses, 
could  gain  the  faith  of  all  the  Jews,  who  were  de- 
termined by  their  human  interest;  for  'many  of 
the  rulers  who  believed  on  him  durst  not  confess 
him.  because  they  loved  the  praise  of  men  more 
than  the  praise  of  God.'  Then  Jesus  again  ex- 
horted all  men  "  to  believe  on  him,  that  so  they 

■  Joseph,  dc  Uello  Jud.  lib.  vi.  c.  3. 


170  FROM  TUP    i)i:ath   of  lazahus 

mij^ht  in  the  same  act  believe  on  God  ;  thai  they 
niig'ht  approach  unlo  the  light,  ai>d  not  abide  in 
darkness;  that  they  might  obey  the  commandments 
of  the  Father,  whose  express  charge  it  was  that  Jesus 
should  ];)reach  this  gospel  ;  and  that  they  might  not 
be  judged  at  the  last  day  by  the  word  which  they 
have  rejected,  which  word  to  all  its  observers  is  ever- 
lasting life."  After  which  sermon  retiring  to  Bethany, 
he  abode  there  all  night." 

1).  On  the  morning,  returning  to  Jerusalem,  on 
the  way  being  hungry  he  passed  by  a  fig-tree,  where, 
expecting  fruit  he  found  none,  and  cursed  the  fig-tree, 
which  by  the  next  day  was  dried  up  and  withered. 
Upon  occasion  of  which  preternatural  event  Jesus 
discoursed  of  the  power  of  faith,  and  its  power  to 
produce  miracles.  But  upon  this  occasion  others, 
llie  disciples  of  Jesus  in  after-ages,  have  pleased 
themselves  with  fancies  and  imperfect  descants; 
as  that  he  cursed  this  tree  in  mystery  and  secret 
Intendment,  it  having  been  the  tree  in  the  eat- 
ing whose  fruit  Adam,  prevaricating  the  divine 
law,  made  an  inlet  to  sin,  which  brought  in  deaXn 
and  the  sadnesses  of  Jesus's  passion."  But  Jesus 
having  entered  the  city  came  into  the  temple,  and 
preached  the  gospel  :  and  the  chief-priests  and 
Scribes  questioned  his  commission,  and  by  what 
authority  he  did  those  things.  But  Jesus  promis- 
ing to  answer  them  if  they  would  declare  their 
opinions  concerning  John's  baptism,  which  tliey 
durst  not,  for  fear  of  displeasing  the  people,  or 
throwing  dirt  in  their  own  faces,  was  acquitted  ol 
his  obligation,  by  their  declining  the  proposition. 

10.  But  there  he  reproved  the  Pharisees  and  ru- 

■  Isidor,  ad  Theo.  pum.  lib.  i.  ep.  61. 


TO    THE    BLHIAL    OF    JESUS.  171 

lers  by  the  parable  of"  two  sons  ;  the  first  whereoi 
said  to  his  father,  he  would  not  obey,  but  repented, 
and  did  his  command  ;  the  second  ^ave  good  words, 
but  did  nothing :  meaning,  that  persons  of  the  great- 
est improbability  M'ere  more  heartily  converted  than 
I  hey  whose  outside  seemed  to  have  appropriated 
religion  to  the  labels  of  their  frontlets.  He  added 
a  parable  of  the  vineyard  let  to  husbandmen,  who 
killed  the  servants  sent  to  demand  the  fruits,  and  at 
last  the  son  himself,  that  they  might  invade  the  in- 
heritance :  but  made  a  sad  commination  to  all  such 
who  should  either  stumble  at  this  stone,  or  on 
whom  tliis  stone  should  fall."  After  which,  and 
some  other  reprehensions,  (which  he  so  veiled  in 
parable  that  it  might  not  be  expounded  to  be  ca- 
lumny or  declamation,  although  such  sharp  ser- 
mons had  been  spoken  in  the  people's  hearing ; 
but  yet  so  transparently  that  themselves  might 
se  their  own  iniquity  in  those  modest  and  just  re- 
])resentnieiils,)  tliePharisees  would  fain  iiave  seized 
him;  but  they  durst  not  for  the  people,  but  re- 
solved, if  they  could, '  to  entangle  him  in  his  talk;' 
and  therefore  '  sent  out  spies,'  who  should  pretend 
panclily  and  veneration  of  his  person ;  who  with 
a  goodly  insinuating  preface,  that  '  Jesus  re- 
garded no  man's  person,  but  spake  the  word  of 
(iod,'  with  much  simplicity  and  justice,  desired  to 
know  if  it  were  '  lawful  to  pay  tribute  to  Caesar  or 
not.'  A  question  which  was  of  great  dispute,  be 
cause  of  the  numerous  sect  of  the  Galileans,  who 
•  lenied  it,  and  of  the  aflfiections  of  the  people,  who 
luved  their  money,  and  their  liberty,  and  the  pri- 
vileges of  their  nation.  And  now,  in  all  probability, 
lie  shall  fall  under  tiie  displeasure  of  the  people  or 
of  Cesar.     But  Jesus  called  to  see  a  penny;  and 


172  FROM    TIIF.    DFATII    t»F    I.AZARUS 

finding  it  to  be  superscribed  with  Caesar's  imag'e, 
with  incomparable  wisdom  he  brake  their  snare, 
and  establislied  an  evansfelical  proposition  forever; 
saying,  'Give  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's, 
and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's.' 

11.  Having  so  excellently  and  so  much  to  their 
wonder  answered  the  Pharisees,  the  Sadducees 
bring  their  great  objection  to  him  against  the  resur- 
rection, by  putting  the  case  of  a  woman  married  to 
seven  husbands,  and  'whose  wife  should  she  be  in 
the  resurrection  ?'  thinking  that  to  be  an  impos- 
sible state,  which  engages  upon  such  seeming  in- 
congruities, that  a  woman  should  at  once  be  wife 
to  seven  men.  But  Jesus  first  answered  their  objec- 
tion, telling  them,  that  all  those  relations  whose 
foundation  is  in  the  imperfections  and  pas- 
sions of  flesh  and  blood,  and  dulies  here  below, 
shall  cease  in  that  state;  which  is  so  spiritual  that 
it  is  like  to  the  condition  of  angels,  amongst  whom 
there  is  no  diflference  of  sex,  no  cognations,  no  ge- 
nealogies or  derivation  from  one  another  :  and  then, 
by  a  new  argument,  proves  the  resurrection,  by  o.ne 
of  God's  appellatives,  who  did  then  delight  to  be 
called  'the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob:'  for 
since  God  '  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the 
living,'  unto  him  even  these  men  are  alive  ;  and  if 
so,  then  either  they  now  exercise  acts  of  life,  and 
therefore  shall  be  restored  to  their  bodies,  that 
their  actions  may  be  complete,  and  they  not  remain 
in  a  state  of  imperfection  to  all  eternity  ;  or  if  they 
be  alive,  and  yet  cease  from  operation,  they  shall  be 
much  rather  raised  up  to  a  condition  which  shall 
actuate  and  make  perfect  their  present  capacities 
and  indispositions,  lest  power  and  inclin^ition 
Bhould  for  ever  ha  in  the  root,  and  never  rise  up  to 


ro    iHi;  KUUiAL  (11-  JESUS.  173 

fn.it  or  lieibage;  and  so  be  an  eternal  vanity,  like 
an  old  bud,  or  an  tternal  child. 

J2.  After  this,  the  Pharisees  being  well  pleased, 
not  that  Jesus  spake  so  excellently,  but  that  the 
Sadducees  were  confuted,  came  to  him,  asking, 
*  which  Avas  tiie  great  commandment,'  and  some 
other  things,  more  out  of  curiosity  than  pious  desires 
of  satisfaction.  But  at  last  JesiM»  was  pleased  to 
ask  them  concerning  Christ,  '  whose  son  he  was:' 
they  answered,  '  The  son  of  David.'  But  he  re- 
plying, '  How  then  doth  David  call  him  Lorrfl?* 
['TlieLord  said  unlo  my  Lord,  sit  thou  on  my 
right  hand."  8^c.]  they  had  nothing  to  answer.  But 
Jesus  then  gave  his  disciples  caution  against  the 
pride,  tlie  hypocrisy,  and  the  oppression  of  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees ;  and  commended  the  poor 
widow's  oblatiorj  of  her  '  two  miles  into  the  trea- 
sury,' it  being  a  great  love  in  a  little  print,  for  it 
was  '  all  her  living.'  All  this  was  spoken  in  the 
temple;  the  goodly  stones  of  which,  when  the 
apostles  beheld  with  wonder,  they  being  white 
and  firm,  twenty  cubits  in  length,  twelve  in  breadth, 
eight  in  depth,  as  Josephus  reports,'  Jesus  proj)he- 
cies  the  destruction  of  the  place.  Concern-ing 
which  prediction  when  the  apostles,  being  with 
him  at  the  Mount  of  Olives,  asked  him  j)rivalely 
concerning  the  time  and  the  signs  of  so  sad  event, 
he  discoursed  largely  of  "  his  coming  to  judgment 
against  that  city,  and  interweaved  predictions  of 
the  universal  judgment  olall  the  world  ;  of  which 
this,  tliough  very  sad,  was  but  a  small  adumbra- 
tion :  adding  precepts  of  watchfulness,  and  stand- 
ing in  preparation,  with   hearts  filled   with  grace, 

<  Lib.  xiv.  Antiq.  c.  14. 


174       FKOM  THE  DKATH  OF  LAZARUS 

our  lamps  always  shining,  that  when  the  bride- 
groom sliall  come,  we  may  be  ready  to  enter  in  ;" 
which  was  intended  in  the  parable  of  the  five  wise 
virgins ;  and  concluded  liis  sermon  with  a  narra- 
tive of  his  passion,  foretelling  that  within  two  days 
he  siiould  be  crucified. 

ip.  Jesus  descended  from  the  mount,  and  came 
to  Bethany;  and  turning  into  the  house  of  Simon 
the  leper,  Mary  Magdalene,  having  been  reproved  J 

by  Judas  for  spending   ointment  upon  Jesus's  feet,  ^ 

it  being  so  unaccustomed  and  hirge  a  profusion, 
thought  now  to  speak  iier  love  once  more,  and 
trouble  nobody  ;  and  therefore  she  '  poured  oint- 
ment on  his  sacred  head  ;'  believing  that,  being  a 
pompousnessof  a  more  accustomed  festivity,  would 
be  indulged  to  the  expressions  of  her  affection. 
But  now  all  the  disciples  murmured,  wondering  at 
the  prodigiousness  of  the  woman's  religion,  ^reat 
enough  to  consume  a  province  in  the  overflowings 
of  her  thankfulness  and  duty.  But  Jesus  now 
also  entertained  the  sincerity  of  her  miraculous 
love;  adding  this  prophecy,  that  where  the  gospel 
should  be  pre;icli:"l  there  also  a  record  of  this  act 
shall  be  kept,  as  a  perpetual  monument  of  her 
piety,  and  an  attestation  of  his  divinity,  who  could 
foretel  future  contingencies  ;  Christianity  receiving 
the  greatest  argument  from  that  which  St.  Peter 
calls  '  the  surer  word  of  prophecy ;'  meaning  it  to 
be  greater  than  the  testimony  of  miracles,  not  easy 
to  be  dissembled  by  impure  spirits,  and  whose 
efficacy  should  descend  to  all  ages  :  for  this  pro- 
phecy shall  for  ever  be  fulfilling,  and,  being  'ivery 
day  verified,  does  every  day  preach  the  divinity  of 
Christ's  person,  and  of  his  institution. 

14.  Tv.o  days  before  the  passovor^  the  Scribes 


TO    THE    BUniAI,    OF    JESUS.  175 

and  Pharisees  called  a  council,  to  contrive  crafty 
ways  of  destroying^  Jesus,  they  not  darint;^  to  do  it 
by  open  violence.  Of  which  meetinjj  when  Judas 
Iscariot  had  notice,  (for  thf»e  assemblies  were  pub- 
lic and  notorious,)  he  ran  from  Bethany,  and  offered 
himself  to  betray  his  Master  to  them,  if  they  would 
U^ive  him  a  considerable  reward.  They  agreed  for 
thirty  pieces  of  silver.  Of  what  value  each  piet*:; 
was  is  uncertain  ;  but  their  own  nation  hath  given 
a  rule,  that  when  a  piece  of  silver  is  named  in  the 
Pentateuch,  it  si{i;niHes  a  side ;  if  it  be  named  in 
the  prophets,  it  sip:nilies  a  pound  ;  if  in  the  other 
writini,'^  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  signifies  a  talent.* 
This  therefore  being  alhged  out  of  the  prophet 
Jeremy  by  one  of  the  evangelists,  it  is  probable 
the  price  at  which  Judas  sold  his  Lord  was  ihiily 
pounds  weight  of  silver  :  a  goodly  price  for  the  Sa- 
viour of  the  world  to  be  prized  at  by  his  undiscern- 
ing  and  unworthy  countrymen. 

15.  The  next  day  Wvi^  the  first  day  of  unleavened 
bread,  on  which  it  was  necessary  they  should  kill  the 
passover  :  therefore  Jesus  sent  Peter  and  John  to  the 
city,  to  a  certain  man,  whom  they  should  find  carry- 
ing a  pitcherof  water  to  his  house  ;  him  they  should 
follow,  and  there  prepare  the  passover.  They  went 
and  found  the  man  in  the  same  circumstances; 
and  prepared  for  Jesus  and  his  family,  who  at  the 


'  Elias  Lerita  Jud.  iM  Tisbi.  Arius  Hlontanns  in  diction. 
Syro-Chaldaic. 

^  Matt,  xxvii.  1),  ubi  citatur  Jcremias  pro  Zecharia,  per  erro- 
rcin  illapsuni  in  Codiccsi.  N.im  tempore  S.  Aupustini  in  non- 
nullis  Codicibiis  (Zecharia?)  leijebatiir  ;  aique  hodie  in  Syriac 
T.  Sed  fortassis  ex  traditione  hoc  dcsccndit  a  Jcremia  dictum, 
sicut  niulta  alia  in  vet.  testani.  non  descripta,  et  in  N.  T.  repetita  ■ 
«]\>nd  CO  maj^is  est  crcdibile,  quia  proverbialitcr  dictum  apud 
Judaos,  .Spiritum  Jereniiap  Tfsc<liive  in  Zcch. 


176  FROM    THE    DEATH    OP    ^.AZARUS 

even  camje  to  celebrate  the  passover.  It  was  at  tlie 
house  of  John,  surnamed  Mark,  which  had  always 
been  open  to  this  blessed  family-,  where  he  was 
pleased  to  finish  his  last  supper,  and  the  mysteri- 
ousness  of  the  vespers  of  his  passion.' 

16.  When  evening  was  come,  Jesus  stood  with 
his  disciples,  and  ate  the  paschal  lamb:  after 
which  he  girt  himself  with  a  towel,  and  taking  a 
basin  washed  the  feet  of  his  disciples  ;  not  only  by 
the  ceremony,  but  in  his  discourses,  instructing 
them  in  the  doctrineof  humility,  which  the  Master, 
by  his  so  great  condescension  to  his  disciples,  had 
made  sacred,  and  imprinted  the  lesson  in  lasting 
characters  by  making  it  symbolical.  But  Peter 
was  unwilling  to  be  washed  by  his  Lord,  until  he 
was  told,  he  must  renounce  his  part  in  him  unless 
he  were  washed ;  which  option  oeing  given  to 
Peter,  he  cried  out,  '  Not  my  feet  only,  but  my 
hands  and  my  head.'  But  Jesus  said,  the  ablution 
of  the  feet  was  sufficient  for  the  purification  of  the 
V  hole  man  ;  relating  to  the  custom  of  those  coun- 
tries who  used  to  go  to  supper  immediately  from 
the  baths,  who  therefore  were  sufficiently  clean  save 
only  on  their  feet,  by  reason  of  the  dust  contracted 
in  their  passage  from  the  baths  to  the  dining- 
room  ;  from  which,  when  by  the  hospitable  master 
of  the  house,  they  were  caused  to  be  cleansed,  they 
needed  no  more  ablution  :  and  by  it  Jesus,  passing 
from  the  letter  to  the  spirit,  meant,  that  the  body 
of  sin  was  washed  in  the  baths  of  baptism  ;  and 
afterwards,  if  we  remained  in  the  same  state  o« 
purity,  it  was  only   necessary  to  purge  away  the 


'  Alexand.   Mon.  apud  Metaphrasten  die  II  Junii.      Viie 
A^richotn.  in  descript.  Jerus.  n.  6. 


TO    TIIL    BiaiAl,    Of    JE-SUS.  l77 

fillh  contractod  in  our  passaf^e  from  the  font  lo  the 
altar;  and  then  we  are  clean  all  over,  when  the 
baptismal  state  is  unaltered,  and  the  little  ad- 
lierences  of  imperfection  are  passions  also  washed 
oflF. 

17.  But  after  the  manducation  of  the  paschal 
iamb,  it  was  the  custom  of  the  nation  to  sit  down 
to  a  second  supper,  in  which  they  ate  herbs  and 
unleavened  bread;  the  major-domo  first  dippui-j 
his  morsel,  and  then  the  family  ;  after  wliicii  the 
father  brake  bread  into  pieces,  and  distributed  a 
part  to  every  of  the  guests;  and,  first  drinking  him- 
self, gave  to  tlie  rest  the  chalice  filled  with  wine, 
according  to  the  age  and  dignity  of  the  person,  add- 
ing to  each  distribution  a  form  of  benediction 
proper  to  the  mystery,  which  was  eucharistical  and 
commemorative  of  their  deliverance  from  Egypt. 
This  supper  Jesus  being  to  celebrate,  changed  the 
forms  of  benediction,  turned  tlie  ceremony  into 
mystery,  and  gave  his  body  and  blood  in  sacrament 
and  religious  configuration ;  so  instituting  the  ve- 
nerable sacrament,  which,  from  the  time  of  its  in- 
Ktitution,  is  called  the  Lord's  supper:  which  rite 
Jesus  commanded  the  apostles  t<^  perpetuate  in 
commemoration  of  him,  their  liord,  until  his  second 
coming.  And  this  was  the  first  delegation  of  a 
perpetual  ministry  which  Jesus  made  to  his  apos- 
tles, in  which  they  were  to  be  succeeded  to  in  all 
tine  generations  of  the  church. 

18.  But  .Jesus  being  troubled  in  spirit,  told  his 
apostles,  tliat  one  of  tiiem  should  betray  him. 
Whicli  prediction  he  made,  that  thoy  might  not  be 
scandalized  at  the  sadness  of  objection  oi'  the  pas- 
sion, but  be  confirmed  in  tbeir  belief,  seeing  so 
great  demonstration  o(   his   wis<lom  and  sj»iiii  of 

VOL.    n.  'A 


178  FROM    THE    DEATH    OF    ).AZAKt'}> 

prophecy  The  disciples  u-ere  all  troubled  at  this 
sad  arrest,  looking  one  on  another,  and  doubling  of 
ul)om  he  spake;  but  the}'  beckoned  to  the  beloved 
disciple,  leaning  on  Jesus's  breast,  that  he  might 
ask  :  for  they  w  ho  knew  their  own  innocency  and 
infirmity,  were  desirous  to  satisfy  their  curiosity, 
and  to  be  rid  of  their  indetermination  and  their 
fear.  But  Jesus  being  asked,  gave  them  a  sign, 
and  a  sop  to  Judas;  commanding  him  to  do  what 
he  list  speedily:  for  Jesus  was  extremely  slrait- 
tned  till  he  had  drunk  the  chalice  oft',  and  accom- 
plished his  mysterious  and  affliclive  baptism.  After 
Judas  received  the  sop,  the  devil  entered  into  him, 
and  Judas  went  forth  immediately,  it  being  now 
night. 

19.  When  he  was  gone  out,  Jesus  began  his 
iarewell  sermon,  rarely  mixed  of  sadness  and  joys, 
and  studded  with  mysteries  as  with  emeralds;  dis- 
I'oursing  of  "  the  glorification  of  God  in  his  Son. 
and  of  those  glories  which  the  Father  had  prepared 
for  him;  of  his  sudden  departure,  and  his  migra- 
tion to  a  place  whither  they  could  not  come  yet, 
but  afterwards  they  should  :  meaning,  first  to  death, 
and  then  to  glory  :  commanding  them  to  love  one 
another ;  and  foretelling  to  Peter,  (who  made  con- 
fident protests  that  he  would  die  with  his  Master,) 
that  •'  before  the  cock  should  crow  twice,  he  should 
deny  him  thrice.'  But  lest  he  should  afi^lict  them 
Avith  too  sad  representments  of  his  present  condi- 
tion, he  comforts  them  with  Ihe  comforts  of  faith, 
with  th'e  intendments  of  his  departure  to  prepare 
|)laces  in  heaven  for  them,  whither  they  might  come 
iiy  him,  who  is  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life; 
adding  a  promise,  in  order  to  their  present  support 
and  future  fflicities,  that  if  tlicv  should  ask  of  God 


TO    TMK    BURIAL    MF    JESUS.  )79 

any  thing  in  his  name,  they  should  receive  it;  and 
upon  condition  they  would  love  him,  and  keep  his 
commandments,  he  would  pray  for  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  come  upon  them,  to  supply  his  room,  to  furnish 
them  witli  proportionahle  comforts,  to  enable  ihem 
with  great  gifts,  to  lead  them  into  all  trutli,  and  to 
abide  with  tliem  for  ever.  Then  arming  them 
against  future  persecutions,  giving  them  divers  holy 
precepts,  discoursing  of  his  emanation  from  the 
Father,  and  of  the  necessity  of  his  de])arture,  he 
gave  them  his  blessing,  and  prayed  for  tliem  :  and 
then,  having  sung  an  hymn,  which  was  part  of  the 
great  Allehijah,  beginning  at  the  1  Nth  Psalm, 
('  Wlien  Israel  came  out  of  Egypt,')  and  ending 
at  the  ]l8lh,  inclusively,  he  went  forth  witli  his 
disciples  over  the  brook  Cedron,  unto  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  to  a  village  called  Gethsemane,  where  there 
was  a  garden,  into  which  he  entered  to  pray  toge- 
ther with  his  d>Eciples." 

20.  But  taking  Peter,  James,  and  John  apart 
with  him,  about  a  stone's  cast  from  the  rest,  lie 
began  to  be  exceeding  sorrowful,  and  sad  even 
unto  death  ;  for  now  he  saw  the  ingredients  of  his 
bitter  draught  pouring  into  the  chalice,  and  the 
sight  was  full  of  horror  and  amazement:  lie  there- 
fore fell  on  his  face,  and  prayed,  '  O,  my  Father,  if 
it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me.'  In  this 
prayer  he  fell  into  so  sad  an  agony,  that  the  pains 
inflicted  by  his  Father's  wrath,  and  made  active  by 
his  own  apprehension,  were  so  great,  that  a  sweat 
distilled  from  his  sacred  body  as  great  and  cofiglo- 
bated  as  drops  of  blood  :'  and  God.  who  beard  his 
prayer,  but  would  not  answer  him  in  kind,  sent  an 

'  Quidamex  Ilegesippo  notaiit,  ex  irroratione  sanguinis  Christi 
natam  arhoreni.  Sic  Philipim''  Bohquiiis  ct  alii.  Scd  ha:  sunt 
mero!  nugsc. 


180  FROM     Itit;    DEATH    OF    LAZARUS 

angel  to  comfort  him  in  the  sadness,  which  he  was 
pleased  not  to  take  awa3%  But  knowing  that  the 
drinking  this  cup  was  the  great  end  of  his  coming 
into  the  world,  he  laid  aside  all  his  own  interests, 
and  divested  himself  of  the  affections  of  flesh  and 
blood,  willing  his  Father's  will  ;  and  because  his 
Father  commanded,  he,  in  defiance  of  sense  and 
passion,  was  desirous  to  suffer  all  our  pains.  But 
as  when  two  seas  meet,  the  billows  contest  in  un- 
gentle embraces,  and  make  violent  noises,  till, 
having  wearied  themselves  into  smaller  waves  and 
disunited  drops,  they  run  quietly  into  one  stream  : 
so  did  the  Spirit  and  nature  of  Jesus  assault  each 
other  with  disagreeing  interests  and  distinguishing 
disputations,  till  the  earnestness  of  the  contention 
was  diminished  by  the  demonstrations  of  the  Spirit, 
and  the  prevailings  of  grace;  which  the  sooner 
got  the  victory,  because  they  were  not  to  contest 
with  an  unsanclified  or  rebellious  nature,  but  a 
body  of  affections  which  had  no  strong  desires, 
but  ccf  its  o\f  n  preservation.  And  therefore  Jesus 
went  thrice,  and  prayed  the  same  prayer,  that, 
'  if  it  were  possible,  the  cup  might  puss  from 
him  ;'  and  thrice  made  an  act  of  resignation;  and 
in  the  intervals  '  came  and  found  his  apostles 
asleep,'  gently  chiding  their  incuriousness,  and 
warning  them  to  *  watch  and  pray,  that  they  enter 
not  into  temptation  ;'  till  the  time  that  the  traitor 
'  came  with  a  multitude  armed  with  swords  and 
staves,  from  the  priests  and  elders  of  the  people,'  to 
apprehend  him. 

21.  Judas  gave  them  the  opportunity  of  the 
night,  that  was  all  the  advantage  they  had  by  him  ; 
because  they  durst  not  seize  him  by  day,  for  fear  of 
the  people :  and  he  signified  the  person  of  his 
master  to  the  soldiers  by  a  kiss,  and  an  address  of 


TO    THE    BLRIAI.    OF    JFSUS.  18" 

seeming  civility.  But  when  they  came  towards 
him,  'Jesus  said.  Whom  seek  ye?  They  said, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  He  said,  I  am  he.'  But  there 
was  a  divinity  upon  him,  that  they  rould  not  seize 
him  at  first.  But  as  a  wave  climbing  of  a  rock  is 
beaten  back  and  scattered  into  members,  till  falling 
down  it  creeps  with  g'entle  wafiinfjs,  and  kisser, 
the  feet  of  the  stony  mountain,  and  so  encircles  it  v 
BO  the  soldiers,  coming  at  first  with  a  rude  attempt, 
were  twice  repelled  by  the  glory  of  his  person,  till 
they,  falling  at  his  feet,  were  at  last  admitted  to  the 
seizure  of  his  body  ;  having  by  those  involuntary 
prostrations  confessed  his  power  greater  than 
theirs,  and  that  the  lustre  and  influence  of  a  God 
are  greater  than  the  violences  and  rudenesses  of 
soldiers.  And  still  they,  like  weak  eyes,  durst  not 
behold  the  glory  of  this  sun,  till  a  cloud,  like  a 
dark  veil,  did  interrupt  the  emissions  of  his  glories, 
they  could  not  seize  upon  him,  till  they  had  thrown 
u  veil  upon  his  holy  face.  Which  although  it  was 
a  custom  of  the  Easterlings,  and  of  the  Roman 
empire  generally,  yet  in  this  case  was  violence 
and  necessity,  because  a  certain  impetuosity  and 
vigorousness  of  spirit  and  divinity  issuing  from  his 
holy  face,  made  them  to  take  sanctuary  in  dark- 
ness, and  to  throw  a  veil  over  him,  in  that  dead 
time  of  a  sad  and  dismal  night.'  But  Peter,  a  stout 
(ialilean,  bold  and  zealous,  attempted  a  rescue, 
and  '  smote  a  servanit  of  the  high-priest,  and  cut 
off  his  ear.'  But  Jesus  rebuked  the  intemperance 
of  his  passion,  and  commanded  him  to  '  put  up 
his  sword,'  saying,  '  all  they  that  strike  with  the 
■word  shall  perish    with   the  sword;'  so  putting  a 

'  Hieron.  in  c  ix.  INIatt. 


182  FROM    THE    DKAIII    OF    l.AZARUS 

bridle  upon  the  illegal  inflictions  and  expresses  of 
anger  or  revenge  from  an  incompetent  authority. 
But  '  Jesus  touched  Malchus's  ear,  and  cured  it.' 

22.  When  Jesus  had  yielded  himself  into  their 
power,  and  was  now  '  led  away  by  the  chief- 
priests,  captains  of  the  temple,  elders  of  the  people, 
and  soldiers,'  who  all  came  in  combination  and 
covenant  to  surprise  him,  his  disciples  fled  ;  and 
John  the  Evangelist,  who  with  grief  and  an  over- 
running fancy  had  forgot  to  lay  aside  his  ujjper 
garment,  which  in  festivals  they  were  used  to  put 
on,  began  to  make  escape ;  but  being  arrested  by 
bis  linen  upon  his  bare  body,  he  was  forced  to  leave 
that  behind  him,  that  himself  might  escape  his 
master's  danger;  for  now  was  verified  the  pro- 
phetical saying,  '  I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and 
the  sheep  shall  be  scattered ;  but  Peter  followed 
affar  off;'  and  the  greatness  of  John's  love,  when 
he  had  mastered  the  first  inconsiderations  of  his 
fear,  made  him  to  return  awhile  after  into  the 
high-prrest's  hall. 

23.  Jesus  was  first  led  to  Annas,  who  was  the 
prince  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  had  cognizance  of 
prophets  and  public  doctrines  ;  who  therefore 
*  enquired  of  Jesus  concerning  his  disciples  and 
his  discipline.'  But  he  answered,  that  his  doctrme 
had  been  public  or  popular ;  that  he  never  taught 
in  conventicles  ;  and  therefore  referred  him  to  the 
testimony  of  all  the  people.  For  which  free  answer, 
'  a  servant  standing  by  smote  him  on  the  face  ;' 
and  Jesus  meekly  asked  him  what  evil  he  had 
done.  But  Annas  without  the  seventy  assessors 
could  judge  nothing;  and  therefore  *  sent  him 
bound  to  Caiaphas,  who  was  high-priest  that  year,' 
president  of  the   rites  of  the  temple  ;  as  the  other 


lO     IHL    UllllVL    OF    JKSL'S.  183 

high-priest  was  of  llie  f,Meat  council.  Tliitlitr 
Feter  came,  and  had  admission  by  the  means  of 
another  disciple,  supposed  to  be  John,  who  having: 
sold  his  possession  in  Galilee  to  Caiaphas,  came 
and  dwelt  near  Mount  Sion  ;  but  was,  by  interven- 
tion of  that  barcjain,  made  known  to  the  hiL-li- priest, 
and  brought  Peter  into  the  iiouse.  Where  when  Pe- 
ter was  challen;;ed  three  limes  l)y  the  servants  to 
be  a  Galilean,  and  of  Jesus's  family,  he  denied  and 
forswore  it;  till  Jesus,  looking-  back,  reminded  him 
of  his  prediction,  and  the  foulness  of  the  crime ; 
•  and  the  cock  crew,'  for  it  was  now  the  second 
cock-crow in[j  after  ten  of  the  clock  in  the  fomtli 
watch.  '  x\nd  Peter  went  out  and  wept  bitterly,' 
that  he  might  cleanse  his  soul,  washing  off  the 
foul  stains  he  bad  contracted  in  his  shameful  per- 
jury and  tienying  of  his  Lord.  And  it  is  reported  of 
the  same  holy  person,  that  ever  after,  when  he 
heard  the  cock  crow,  he  wept;  remembering  ihe 
old  instrument  of  his  conversion,  and  his  own  uii- 
worlhine.ss,  for  which  he  never  ceased  to  do  actions 
of  sorrow  and  i,harp  repentance.' 

24.  On  the  morning  the  council  was  to  assem- 
ble; and  whilst  Jesus  was  detained  in  expecta- 
tion of  it,  the  servants  mocked  him,  and  did  all 
actions  of  affront  and  ignoble  despite  to  his  sacred 
head  ;  and  because  the  question  was  whether  lie 
were  a  prophet,  '  they  covered  his  eyes,  and  smote, 
him,'  in  derision  calling  on  him  to  '  prophecy 
who  smote  him.'  But  in  the  morning,  when  the 
high-priests  and  rulers  of  the  people  were  assem- 
bled, they  sought  false  witness  against  Jesus ;  Im: 

'  Arsenius  in  viiis  I'p. 


184  FHOM     riir    1>EATH    of    LAZARCd 

found  none  to  purpose :  U)ey  railed  boldly,  and 
could  prove  nothing ;  they  accused  vehemently, 
and  the  allegations  were  of  such  things  as  were  no 
crimes;  and  the  greatest  article  which  the  united 
diligence  of  all  their  malice  could  pretend,  was, 
that  '  he  said  he  would  destroy  the  temple,  and 
in  three  days  build  it  up  again.'  But  Jesus  nei- 
ther answered  this  nor  any  other  of  their  vainer 
allegations  ;  for  the  witnesses  destroyed  each  other's 
testimony  by  their  disagreeing  ;  till  at  last  Caia- 
phas,  "who,  to  verify  his  prophecy,  and  to  satisfy 
his  ambition,  and  to  bait  his  envy,  was  furiously 
determined  Jesus  should  die,  'adjures  him  by  the 
living  God  to  say  whether  he  were  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God.'  Jesus  knew  his  design  to  be 
an  inquisition  of  death,  not  of  piety  or  curiosity ; 
yet,  because  his  hour  was  now  come,  he  openly 
affirmed  it,  witliout  any  expedient  to  elude  the 
high-priest's  malice,  or  to  decline  the  question. 

25.  When  Caiaphas  heard  the  saying,  he  accused 
Jesus  of  blas]>hemy,  and  pretended  an  apprehen- 
sion so  tragical,  that  he  overacted  his  wonder  and 
feigned  detestation ;  for  he  rent  his  garments, 
(which  was  the  interjection  of  the  country,  and 
custom  of  the  nation,  but  forbidden  to  the  high- 
priest,)  and  called  presently  to  sentence.  And,  as 
it  was  agreed  beforehand,  '  they  all  condemned 
him  as  guilty  of  death,'  and  as  far  as  they  had 
power  inflicted  it;  for  they  'beat  him  with  their 
fists,  smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands, 
spit  upon  him,'  and  abused  him  beyond  the  license 
of  enraged  tyrants.  When  Judas  heard  that  they 
had  passed  the  final  and  decretory  sentence  of 
death  upon  his  Lord,  he,  who  thought  not  it  would 


TO     IHH    BIRIAI.    or    JESUS.  1^5 

have  ffone  so  fur,  rrpented  liim  to  have  been  an 
instrument  ofso  damnable  amachinalion,  and  came 
and  brought  the  silver  which  they  gave  him  for 
hire,  '  threw  it  in  amongst  ihem,  and  said,  I  have 
einned  in  betraying  the  innocent  blood,'  But  they, 
incurious  of  those  hell-torments  Judas  felt  within 
him,  because  their  own  fires  burned  not  yet,  dis- 
missed him  ;  and  upon  consultation  bought  with 
the  money  '  a  field  to  bury  strangers  in.'  And 
'  Judas  went  and  hanged  himself:'  and  the  judg- 
ment was  made  more  notorious  and  eminent,  by 
an  unusual  accident  at  such  deaths;  for  he  so 
swelled,  that  '  he  burst,  and  his  bowels  gushed 
out.'  But  the  Greek  scholiast  and  some  others 
report  out  of  Papias,  St.  John's  scholar,  that 
Judas  fell  from  the  fig-tree  on  which  he  hanged, 
before  he  was  quite  dead,  and  survived  his  attempt 
somti  while,  being  so  sad  a  spectacle  of  deformity 
and  pain,  and  a  prodigious  tumour,  that  bis  plague 
was  deplorable,  and  highly  miserable;  till  at  last 
he  burst  in  the  very  substance  of  his  trunk,  as 
l)eing  extended  beyond  the  jjossibiiities  and  caj)a- 
cities  of  nature.' 

•iO.  But  the  high-priest  had  given  Jesus  over  to 
the  secular  power,  and  carried  him  to  Pilate,  to  l)e 
put  to  deatii  by  his  sentence  and  military  power. 
But  coming  thither,  they  '  would  not  enter  into 
the  judgment-hall,'  becau^ie  of  the  feast;  r)ut 
Pilate  met  them,  and  willing  to  decline  tlie  busi- 
ness, bid  them  'judge  him  according  to  their  own 
law.'     They  rei>lied,  'it  was  not   lawful  for  them 

'  Euthein.  in  xxvi.  Matt  Cedren.  in  compend.  Oecumen. 
in  c  i.  Act.  Juvencus  Hixt.  Kvangel.  lib.  iv.  Ikda  ']e  locu 
asttct  c.  4. 


186  FROM    TIIK    Dr'AIH    uF    l.AZ^RL'S 

to  put  any  man  to  deatli;'  meaning',  during  the 
seven  days  of  unleavened  bread  :'  (asapeais  in  tlif 
instance  of  Herod,  who  detained  Peter  in  prison,  in- 
tending after  Easter  to  bring  him  out  to  the  people:) 
and  their  malice  was  restless,  till  the  sentence  they 
had  passed  were  put  in  execution.  Others  think  that 
all  the  right  of  inflicting  capital  punishments  was 
taken  from  the  nation  by  the  Romans.  And  Jo- 
sephus  writes,  that  when  Ananias,  their  high-priest, 
had  by  a  council  of  the  Jews  condemned  St.  James, 
the  brother  of  our  Lord,  and  put  liim  to  death, 
without  the  consent  of  the  Roman  president,  he 
was  deprived  of  his  priesthood.'  But  because 
PUate  (who  either  by  common  right,  or  at  that 
time  was  the  judge  of  capital  inflictions)  was 
averse  from  intermeddling  in  the  condemnation 
of  an  innocent  person,  they  attempted  hiiu  witii 
excellent  craft ;  for  knowing  that  Pihi'te  was  a 
great  servant  of  the  Roman  greatness,  and  a 
hater  of  the  sect  of  the  Galileans,  tlie  high-priest 
accused  Jesus,  that  he  was  of  that  sect,  that  he 
'  denied  paying'  tribute  to  Caesar,  that  he  called 
himself  king.'  Concerning  which,  when  Pilale  in- 
terrogated Jesus,  he  answered,  that  '  his  kingdom 
was  not  of  this  world.'  And  Pilate,  thinking  he 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  other,  came  forth 
again,  and  gave  testimony,  that  '  he  found  nothing 
worthy  of  death  in  .Jesus.'  But  hearing  tliat  he 
was  a  Galilean,  and  of  Herod's  jurisdiction,  Pi- 
late sent  him  to  Herod,  who  was  at  Jerusalem,  at 
the  feast.     '  And  Herod  was  glad,  because  he  had 

'  S.  Aug.  tract.  114.  in  Joan.  Cyril,  in  .Joan.  Ambros.  serm. 
de  calend.  Januar.     Chrys.  in  Joan.  hom.  lib.  x.v. 
^  Antiq.  c  viii. 


TO    THK    llUItr.A.1.    01-    JESUS,  187 

lienid  iihrIi  olliini;'  and  since  his  letiini  fioi^ 
Rome  hiul  ilesirecl  to  see  him,  but  could  nol,  1)V 
reason  of  his  own  avocations,  and  the  ambulatory 
life  of  Christ;  '  and  now  he  hoped  to  see  a  miracle 
done  by  him,'  of  whom  he  had  heard  so  many. 
But  the  event  of  this  was,  that  Jesus  did  there  no 
miracle  ;  '  Herod's  soldiers  set  him  at  noi.ght,  and 
mocked  him.  And  that  day  Herod  was  reconciled 
to  Piiate.' '  Anil  Jesus  was  sent  back,  arrayed 
in  a  white  und  splendid  garment:  whicli  though 
possibly  it  might  be  intended  for  derision,  yet  was 
SI  symbol  of  innocence,  condemned  persons  usually 
being  arrayed  in  blacks.  And  when  Pilate  baa 
again  examined  him,  '  Jesus,  meek  as  a  lamb,  and 
as  a  sheep  before  the  shearers,  opened  not  his 
mouth:  insomuch  that  Pilate  wondered,'  perceiving: 
the  greatest  innocence  of  the  man,  by  not  offering 
to  excuse  or  lessen  any  thing  :  for  though  '  Pilate 
had  power  to  release  him  or  crucify  him  ;'  yet  his 
contempt  of  death  was  in  just  proportion  to  his  in- 
nocence :  which  also  Pilate  concealed  not,  but  pub- 
lished .Tesus's  innocence  by  Herod's  and  his  own 
sentence;  to  the  great  regret  of  the  rulers,  who,  like 
ravening  wolves,  thirsted  for  a  draught  of  blood, 
and  to  devour  the  morning  prey. 

27.  But  Pilate  hoped  to  prevail  upon  the  rulers, 
by  making  it  a  favour  from  them  to  Jesus,  and  an 
indulgence  from  him  to  the  nation,  to  set  him  free: 
for  oftentimes  even  malice  itself  is  driven  out  by 
the  devil  of  self-love;  and  so  we  may  be  acknow- 
ledged the  authors  of  a  safety,  we  are  content  to 
rescue  a  man  even  from  our  ownselves.  Pilate 
therefore  offered  tliat,  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  nation,  Jesus  should  be  released  for  the  hoiK^ui 
'  Joseph,  lib.  xTi.  c.  14.     Idem  in  vita  sua. 


188      FROM  THE  DEATH  oF  LA/\Rl'S 

of  the  present  festival,  and  as  a  donative  to  the 
people.  But  the  sph'it  of  malice  was  here  the  more 
prevalent,  and  they  desired  that  Barabbas,  'a  mur- 
derer, a  thief,  and  a  seditious  person,'  should  be 
exchanged  for  him.  Then  Pilate,  casting  fJ^out  all 
ways  to  acquit  Jesus  of  punishment,  and  himself 
of  guilt,  offered  to  'scourge  him  and  let  him  go;' 
hoping  that  a  lesser  draught  of  bl-ood  might  stop 
the  furies  and  rabidness  of  their  passion,  without 
their  bursting  with  a  river  of  his  best  and  vital 
liquor.  But  these  leeches  would  not  so  let  go ; 
'  they  cry  out,  Crucify  him  :'  and  to  engage  him 
finally,  they  told  him,  '  if  he  did  let  this  man  go, 
he  was  no  friend  to  Caesar.* 

'i8.  But  Pilate  called  for  '  water,  and  washed  his 
hands,'  to  demonstrate  his  ovvn  unwillingness,  and 
to  reject  and  transmit  the  guilt  upon  them;  who 
took  it  on  them  as  greedily  as  they  sucked  the 
blood  :  '  they  cried  out.  His  blood  be  on  us  and  on 
our  children.'  As  Pilate  was  going  to  give  sen- 
tence,  his  wife,  being  troubled  in  her  dreams, 
sent,  with  the  earnestness  and  passion  of  a  woman 
that  he  should  '  have  nothing  to  do  with  that  just 
person.'  But  he  was  engaged  :  Caesar  and  Jesus, 
God  and  the  king,  did  seem  to  have  different  inter- 
ests ;  or  at  least  he  was  threatened  into  that  opinion ; 
and  Pilate,  though  he  was  satisfied  it  was  but  ca- 
lumny and  malice,  yet  he  was  loath  to  venture 
upon  his  answer  at  Rome,  in  case  the  high-priest 
should  have  accused  him  :  for  no  man  knows  whe- 
ther the  interest  or  the  mistake  of  his  judge  may 
cast  the  sentence  ;  and  whoever  is  accused  strongly, 
is  never  thought  entirely  innocent.  An<l  therefore, 
not  only  against  the  divrne  laws,  but  against  the 
Roman  too,  he  condemned  an  innocent  person  upon 


T(»    Till:    HI'RIAI.    OF    JF.SOS.  1^9 

objections  noloiiously  malicious:  lie  adjudged  him 
to  a  death  wliitli  was  only  due  to  public  thieves 
and  homicides,  (crimes  with  which  he  was  not 
charged,)  upon  a  pretence  of  blasphemy,  of  which 
he  stood  accused,  but  not  convicted  ;  and  for  which, 
by  the  Jewish  law,  he  should  have  been  stoned,  if 
found  guilty.  And  this  he  did  put  into  present 
execution,  against  the  Tiberian  law,  which  about 
twelve  years  before  decreed  in  favour  of  condemned 
persons,  that  after  sentence  execution  should  be 
deferred  ten  days.' 

29.  And  now  was  the  Holy  Lamb  to  bleed. 
First,  therefore,  Pilate's  soldiers  array  him  in  a 
kingly  robe,  put  a  reed  in  his  hand  for  a  sceptre, 
plait  a  crown  of  thorns  wnd  put  it  on  his  head  ; 
they  bow  the  knee,  and  mock  him  ;  they  smite  him 
wilh  his  fantastic  sceptre,  and  instead  of  tribute,  pay 
I.  m  uih  blows  and  spitting  upon  his  holy  head. 
And  when  they  had  emptied  the  whole  slock  of  poi- 
sonous contempt,  tiiey  divest  him  of  the  robes  of 
mockery, and  put  him  on  hisown :  they  lead  him  to  a 
pillar,  and  bind  him  fast,  and  scourge  him  with 
whips;  a  punishment  that  slaves  only  did  use  to  suf- 
fer, (free  persons  being,  in  certain  cases,  beaten  with 
rods  and  clubs,)  that  they  might  add  a  new  scorn  to 
his  afflictions,  and  make  his  sorrows  like  their  own 
guilt,  vast  and  mountainous.'  After  which,  Ba- 
raibbas  being  set  free,  '  Pilate  delivered  Jesus  to  be 
crucified.' 

>  Si'eton.  in  Tiberio,  c.  75-  D'o  Rom.  Hist,  lib  Ivii.  Sub 
'J'iberid  et  Druso  loss.  C'orrnplos  autem  est  cxtdex  Epist.  Sido- 
nli,  qui  ait,  Nunc,  ex  vctere  S.  C.  Tiberiano,  Triginta  dieruin 
vitam  post  sententiam  trabit.— "  According  to  the  original  law, 
thirty  days  were  to  intervene  between  tlie  passing  of  the  sentence 
and  the  execution." 

'  Lib.  In  servorum  1>.  de  pccnis.     Lib.  I.evia.  T).  deaecui. 


190  FROM   THE    Dr.ATH    OF    LAZARUS 

30.  Th  s  '  '•'  s  therefore  having  fiamed  a  ctos« 
sad  and  heavy, laid  it  upon  Jesus's  shoulders,  (\v!io, 
like  Isaac,  bore  the  wood  with  which  he  was  to  he 
sacrificed  himself  )  nd  they  drove  him  out  to  cru- 
cifixion, who  was  scarce  able  to  stand  under  tliat 
load.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  Jesas  bore 
the  whole  tree  ;'  that  is,  both  the  parts  of  his  cross  ; 
but  to  him  that  considers  it,  it  will  seem  impossible  : 
and  therefore  it  is  more  likely,  and  agreeable  to  the 
old  manner  of  crucifying  malefactors,  that  .Tesus 
only  carried  the  cross-part;  the  body  of  it  being 
upon  the  place  either  already  fixed,  or  prepared 
for  its  station.  Even  that  lesser  part  was  giievous 
and  intolerable  to  his  tender,  virginal,  and  weakened 
body  ;  and  when  he  fainted,  they  compel  Simon, 
a  Cyrenian,  to  help  him.  A  great  and  a  mixed 
multitude  followed  .Jesus  to  Golgotha,  the  charnel- 
house  of  the  city,  and  the  place  of  execution.  But 
the  women  v\ept  with  bitter  exclamations;  and 
their  sadness  was  increased  by  the  sad  predictions 
Jesus  then  made  of  their  future  misery,  saying, '  Ye 
daughters  of  .Terusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  weep 
for  yourselves  and  for  your  children.  For  the  time 
shall  come  that  men  shall  say.  Blessed  are  the 
barren  that  never  bare,  and  the  paps  that  never 
gave  suck  :  for  they  shall  call  on  the  hills  to  cover 
them,  and  on  the  mountams  to   fall   upon  them;' 


'■  Lignum  transversum  solum  portavit  Jesus,  scil.  Patibulum, 
ad  locmn  ubi  crux,  scil.  lignum  oblongum,  terra  tlefixum  stetit. 
Sic  Plautus,  Patibulum  ferant  per  urbem,  et  cruci  affigantur. 
IV I  ale  ergo  pictoreshodierni  pingunt  Jesum,  bajulantem  utrum- 
que  lignum  scil.  Lipsius  Tract,  de  supplicio  crucis. — ''  Jesus, 
says  Lipsius,  carried  the  transverse  beam  of  the  cross  to  the  place 
where  the  tree  itself  was  already  fixed  in  the  ground.  Plawtus 
alludes  to  tliis  custom.  INIodern  painters,  therefore,  err  in  rc« 
presenting  Jesus  bearing  the  whole  of  the  cross." 


TO    THK    BUUIAI,    OF    JESUS  llll 

that  by  a  sidden  ruin  tliey  may  escape  the  linger- 
ing: calamities  of  famine  and  fear,  and  the  horror  of 
a  thousand  deaths. 

31.  '  Wh  ■■■  Jesus  was  come  to  Golgotha,' a  place 
in  the  Mount  of  Calvary,  (where,  according-  to  the 
tradiiion  of  the  ancients,  Adam  was  buried,'  and 
where  Abraham  made  an  altar  for  the  sacrffice  of 
his  son,')  by  the  piety  of  liis  disciples,  and,  it  is 
probable,  of  those  good  women  which  did  use  to 
minister  to  him,  there  was  provided  *  wine  mingled 
with  myrrh ;' which  among  the  Levantines  is  an 
excellent  and  pleasant  mixture,  and  such  as  the 
piety  and  indulgence  of  the  nations  used  to  admi- 
nister to  condemned  per^ms.'  But  Jesus,  who  by 
voluntary  susception  did  choose  to  suffer  our  pains, 
refused  that  refresliment  which  the  piety  of  the  wo- 
men presented  to  him.  The  soldiers  having  strip- 
ued  him,  nailed  him  to  the  cross  with  four  nails,  and 
divided  his  mantle  into  four  parts,  giving  to  each 
soldier  a  part ;  but  for  his  coat,  because  it  would 
be  spoiled  if  parted,  it  being  weaved  without  seam, 
they  cast  lots  for  it. 

32.  Now  Pilate  liad  caused  a  title,  containmg 
the  cause  of  his  death,  to  be  superscribed  on  a  table 
in  Latin,  Cireek,  and  Hebrew  ;  the  Hebrew  being 
first,  the  Greek  next,  and  the  Latin  nearest  to  the 
holy  body;  but  all  written  after  the  Jewish  manner, 
from  the  right  hand  to  the  left ;  for  so  the  title  is 
shown  in  the  church  of  Santa  Croce,  in  Rome,  tiie 


>  'lertul.  lib.  ii.  contra  ^larcion.  Origen.  Tract,  xxxv.  in 
Matt.  Basil,  in  Levit.  e.  5.  Athan  de  Pass,  et  cruce,  ct  fert 
onincs  Pp.  unico  excepto  Hieronjmo,  in  I'.pist,  ad  ICplies.  c.  6, 
et  in  c.  27,  Matth. 

*  S.  Aug.  Serm.  vii.  de  Tempore. 

J  Piin.  Nat.  Hist.  lib.  xiv.  r.  IX     .^ihcnfpus,  lib.  xi   c.  30. 


192  FROM    THE    DEATH    Ol'    1  AZARUS 

Latin  letters  being-  to  be  read  as  if  it  were  Itobiew  . 
the  reason  of  which  I  could  never  find  sufficiently 
discovered,  unless  it  were  to  make  it  more  legible 
to  the  Jews,  who  by  conversing  with  the  Romans, 
began  to  understand  a  little  Latin.  The  title  was, 
'  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  king  of  the  Jews.'  But  th« 
Pharisees  would  have  it  altered,  and,  '  that  he  said 
he  was  king  of  the  Jews.'  But  Pilate,  out  of  wilful- 
ness, or  to  do  despite  to  the  nation,  or  in  ho- 
nour to  Jesus,  whom  he  knew  to  be  a  just  per- 
son, or  being  overruled  by  divine  Providence, 
refused  to  alter  it.  '  And  there  were  crucified  with 
Jesus  two  thieves,  Jesus  being  in  the  midst,  ac- 
cording to  the  prophecy,  '  he  was  reckoned  with 
the  transgressors.'  Then  Jesus  prayed  for  his  per- 
secutors :  '  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do.'  But  while  Jesus  was  full  of  pain 
and  charity,  and  was  praying  and  dying  for  his 
enemies,  '  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  mocked  him,'  up- 
braiding him  with  the  good  works  he  did,  and  the  ex- 
presses of  his  power,  saying, '  He  saved  others;  him- 
self he  cannot  save;'  others  saying,  '  Let  him  come 
down  from  the  cross,  if  he  be  the  king  of  the  Jews, 
an-d  we  will  believe  in  him;'  and  others,  acroHiijSf 
us  their  malice  was  determined  by  fancy  md  occa- 
sion, added  weight  and  scorn  to  his  pains:  and  oi 
the  two  malefactors  that  were  crucified  with  him, 
*  one  reviled  him,  saying.  If  thou  be  the  Christ, 
save  thyself  and  us.'  And  thus  far  the  devil  pre- 
vailed, undoing  himself  in  riddle,  provoking  men 
to  do  despite  to  Christ,  and  to  heighten  his  passion 
out  of  hatred  to  him  ;  and  yet  doing  and  promot- 
ing that  which  was  the  ruin  of  all  his  own  kingdom 
and  potent  mischiefs :  like  the  Jew.  who  in  indig- 
nation against  Mercury,  threw  stones  at  his  image. 


Tt*    TlfK    rJLKlAl.    »>r    JESUS.  193 

niul  yel  was  by  Ins  superior  judged  idolatrous,  that 
beinp^  the  manner  of  doinp^  honour  to  the  idol 
amono-  the  Gentiles,*  But  then  Christ,  who  iiad 
upon  the  cross  prayed  for  his  enemies,  and  was 
heard  of  God  in  all  that,  he  desired,  felt  now  the 
beginnings  of  success.  For  the  other  thief,  whom 
the  present  pains  and  circumstances  of  Jesus's  pas- 
sion had  softened  and  made  believing,  reproved  his 
fellow  for  not  fearing  God ;  confessed  that  this 
death  happened  to  them  deservedly,  but  to  Jesus 
causelessly;  and  then  prayed  to  Jesus,  'Lord,  re- 
member me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom.' 
Which  combination  of  pious  acts  and  miraculous 
conversion  Jesus  entertained  with  n  speedy  pro- 
mise of  a  very  great  felicity,  promising  '  that  upon 
that  very  day  he  should  be  with  hiu)  in  paradise.' 

XL  '  Now  there  were  standing  by  the  cross  the 
mother  of  Jesus  and  her  sister,  and  Mary  Magda- 
len, and  John."  And  Jesus,  being  upon  his  death- 
bed, although  he  had  no  temporal  estate  to  be- 
stow, yet  he  would  make  provision  for  his  mother, 
who,  being  a  widow,  and  now  childless,  was  likely 
to  be  exposed  to  necessity  and  want;  and  there- 
fore he  did  arrogate  John,  the  beloved  disciple,  into 
Mary's  kindred,  making  him  to  be  her  adopted 
son,  and  her  to  be  his  mother,  by  fiction  of  law  : 
•  Woman,  behold  thy  son ;  and  man,  behold  thy 
mother.  And  from  that  time  forward  John  took 
her  home  to  his  own  house,'  which  he  had  near 
Mount  Sion,  after  he  had  sold  his  inheritance  in 
(ialilee  to  the  high-j>riest. 

34.  While  these  things  were  dding,  the  whole 
frame  of  nature  seemed  to  be  dissolved  and  out  ot 

I  R.  Manasses.  V'id.  Dionys.  Vossium  in  annot.  ad  Rab. 
R.  MAiTnon. 

Vol..     II  X~i 


I#tl  FROM     fill'.     Ur.ATK    (iF    I.AZAHL'S 

order,  while  their  Lord  and  Creator  suffered.  For 
the  sun  was  so  darkened,  that  the  stars  appeared  ; 
and  the  eclipse  was  prodigious  in  the  manner  as 
well  as  in  deoree,  because  the  moon  was  not  then 
in  conjunction,  but  full:'  and  it  was  noted  by 
Phle^on,  the  freed  man  of  the  emperor  Hadrian, 
by  Lucian  out  of  the  Acts  of  the  Gauls,  and  Dio- 
nysius,  while  he  was  yet  a  heathen,  excellent  scIjo- 
hirs  all,  great  historians  and  philosophers;  who 
also  noted  the  day  of  tlie  week  and  tlie  hour  of  the 
<lay,  agreeing  with  the  circumstances  of  the  cross. 
For  the  sun  hid  his  head  from  beholding  such  a 
prodigy  of  sin  and  sadness,  and  provided  a  veil 
for  the  nakedness  of  Jesus,  that  the  women  might 
be  present,  and  himself  die  with  modesty. 

.''5.  The  eclipse  and  the  passion  began  at  the 
eixtii  hour,  and  endured  till  the  ninth ;  about 
which  time  Jesus,  being  tormented  with  the  un- 
sufFerable  load  of  his  Father's  wrath  due  for  our 
sins,  and  wearied  with  pains  and  heaviness,  '  cried 
out.  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me?'  And,  as  it  is  thought,  repeated  the  whole 
two-and-twentieth  Psalm,  which  is  an  admirable 
narrative  of  the  passion,  full  of  prayer  and  sadness, 
and  description  of  his  pains  at  first,  and  of  eucha- 
rist  and  joy  and  prophecy  at  the  last.  But  these 
first  words,  which  it  is  certain  and  recorded  that 
he  spake,  were  in  a  language  of  itself,  or  else  by 

'  Origen.  cont.  Cels.  lib.  ii.  Tertul.  Apolog.  Lueian.in  actis 
8ui  marl.  August,  ep  80,  ad  Hesychium.  Suidas  in  vita 
DioTiys.  ait  eum  dixisse,  Aut  Deus  patitur,  aut  patienti  com- 
patitur:  et  liac  de  causa  Athenienses  erexisse  aram  ayvdxTToj 
HfrfJ,  aiuiit  quidam. — "  Suidas,  in  the  life  of  Dionysius,  says, 
that  he  observed,  Kittier  God  is  suffering,  or  compassionating  the 
sufferer ;  and  that  from  this  the  Athenians  erected,  as  is  reported, 
an  altar  to  tlie  uiikno'.vn  (iod." 


TO    THT.    BLMtlAl.    (.if    JKSLS.  )96 

reason  of  distance,  not  understood ;  for  ihey 
thoug;ht  he  had  called  for  Elias  to  take  him  down 
from  the  cross.  Then  Jesu><,  being  in  the  agonies 
of  a  high  fever,  said,  '  I  thirst.  And  one  ran,  and 
filled  a  sponge  with  vinegar,  wrapping  it  with 
hyssop,  and  put  it  on  a  reed,  that  he  might  drink.' 
The  vinegar  and  the  sponge  were,  in  executions  of 
condemned  persons,  set  to  stoj)  the  too  violent 
issues  of  blood,  and  to  prolong  the  death  ;  but 
were  exhibited  to  him  in  scorn ;  *  mingled  with 
gall,'  to  make  the  mixture  more  horrid  and  ungen- 
tle.' But  Jesus  tasted  it  only,  and  refused  the 
draught.  And  now,  knowing  that  the  prophecies 
were  fulfilled,  his  Father's  wrath  appeased,  and 
his  torments  satisfactory,  he  said,  '  It  is  finished  : 
and  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  Father,  into  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit,  he  bowed  his  head, 
and  yielded  up  iiis  spirit'  into  the  hands  of  God, 
and  died,  hastening  to  his  Father's  glories.  Thus 
did  this  glorious  Sun  set  in  a  sad  and  clouded 
west,  running  speedily  to  shine  in  the  other  world. 
3(i.  Then  was  the  veil  of  the  temple,  which  se- 
parated the  secret  Mosaic  rites  from  the  eyes  of  the 
people,  rent  in  the  midst,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  ; 
and  the  angels,  presidents  of  the  temple,  called  to 
each  other  to  depart  from  their  seats ;  and  so 
great  "  an  earthquake  happened,  that  the  rocks  did 
rend,  the  mountains  trembled,  the  graves  opened, 
and  the  bodies  of  dead  persons  arose,  walking 
from  their  cemeteries  to  tiie  holy  city,  and  appeared 
unto  many."'  And  so  great  apprehensions  and 
amazements  happened  to   tliem  all  that  stood  by, 

•  Plin.  Nat.  Hist.  lib.  xxxi.  v.  11.     Tertul.  de  Spect.  c.  25. 

*  S.  Ilieron.  ep.  150.  q.  fl. 


196      FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  LAZARUS 

that  they  departed,  smiting  their  breasts,  with  sor- 
row and  fear.  And  the  centurion  that  ministered 
at  the  execution  said,  '  Certainly  this  was  the  Son 
of  God  ;'  and  he  became  a  disciple,  renouncing 
his  military  employment,  and  died  a  martyr.' 

37.  But  because  the  next  day  was  the  Jews'  sab- 
bath, and  a  paschal  festival  besides,'  tlie  Jews  has- 
tened, that  the  bodies  should  be  taken  from  the 
cross ;  and  therefore  sent  to  Pilate  to  hasten  their 
death  by  breaking  their  legs,  that  before  sun-set 
they  might  be  taken  away,  according  to  the  com- 
mandment, and  be  buried.^  The  soldiers  there- 
fore came,  and  brake  the  legs  of  tlie  two  thieves  ; 
but  espying  and  wondering  that  Jesus  was  already 
dead,  they  brake  not  his  legs;  for  the  Scripture 
foretold,  that  a  bone  of  him  should  not  be  broken. 
But  a  soldier  with  his  lance  pierced  his  side,  and 
immediately  there  streamed  out  two  rivulets  of 
water  and  l)lood.  But  the  holy  virgin-mother, 
(whose  soul,  during  this  whole  passion,  was  pierced 
with  a  sword  and  sharper  sorrows,  though  she  was 
supported  by  the  comforts  of  faith,  and  those  holy 
predictions  of  his  resurrection  and  future  glories 
which  Mary  had  laid  up  in  store  against  this  great 
day  of  expense,)  now  that  she  saw  iier  holy  Son 
had  suffered  all  that  our  necessities  and  their  ma- 
lice could  require  or  inflict,  caused  certain  minis- 
ters, with  whom  she  joined,  to  take  her  dead  Son 
from  the  cross;  whose  body,  when  once  she  got 
free  from  the  nails,  she  kissed  and  embraced  wilh 

>  Apud  Metaph.  die  16  Octob. 

'^  Plin.  lib.  xi.  c.45.     Vide  liacCan;.    ib.  '.  i.  26       Cic.  pre 
Kosc. 
3  Philo  de  leg.  special.  Deut.  xxl 


TO    1HE    BURIAL    OF    JESUS.  197 

entertuinnients  of  the  nearest  vicinity  that  could 
be  expressed  by  a  person  that  was  holy  and  sad, 
and  a  mother  weepings  for  her  dead  son. 

38.  But  she  was  highly  satisfied  with  her  own 
meditations,  that  now  that  great  mystery,  deter- 
mined by  divine  predestination  before  the  begin- 
ning of  all  ages,  was  fulfilled  in  her  Son;  and  the 
passion  that  must  needs  be,  was  accomplished. 
She  therefore  first  bathes  his  cold  body  with  her 
warm  tears,  and  makes  clean  the  surface  of  the 
wounds,  and  delivering  a  winding-napkin  to  Jo- 
seph of  Arimathea,  gave  to  liim  in  charge  to  en- 
wrap the  body  and  embalm  it,  to  compose  it  to  the 
grave,  and  to  do  it  all  the  rites  of  funeral ;  having 
first  exhorted  him  to  a  public  confession  of  what 
he  was  privately  till  now.'  And  he  obeyed  tlie 
counsel  of  so  excellent  a  person,  and  ventured 
upon  the  displeasure  of  tlie  Jewish  rulers,  and 
'  went  confidently  to  Pilate,  and  begged  the  body 
of  Jesus.'     And  Pilate  gave  him  the  power  of  it. 

39.  Joseph  therefore  takes  the  body,  binds  his 
face  with  a  napkin,  washes  tlie  body,  anoints  it 
with  ointment,  enwraps  it  in  a  composition  of 
myrrh  and  aloes,  and  puts  it  into  a  new  tomb, 
which  he  for  himself  had  hewn  out  of  a  rock:  (it 
not  being  lawful  among  the  .lews  to  inter  a  con- 
demned person  in  the  common  cemeteries:)  for  all 
these  circumstances  were  in  the  Jews'  manner  of 
fcurying.  But  when  the  sun  was  set,  the  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees  went  to  Pilate,  telling  him 
that  Jesus,  whilst  he  was  living,  foretold  his  own 
resurrection  upon  the  tliird  day  ;  and  lest  his  disci- 
ples should  come  anil   steal  the  body,  and  say  he 

'  i\(etaphr.  August.  15. 


198      CONSIDERATIONS  ON  ACCIDKNTS 

was  risen  from  the  dead,  desired  that  the  sej)idchre 
might  be  secured  against  the  danger  of  any  such 
jmposturf..  Pdatc  gave  them  leave  to  do  their 
pleasure,  even  to  the  satisftiction  of  their  smallest 
scruples.  They  therefore  '  sealed  the  grave,  rolled 
a  great  'stone  to  the  mouth  of  it.'  and,  as  an  ancient 
tradition  says,  bound  it  about  with  labels  of  iron, 
and  set  a  watch  of  soldiers,  as  if  they  had  inlendt-d 
to  have  made  it  surer  than  the  decrees  of  fate,  or 
the  never-failing  laws  of  nature.' 


Ad.  section  XV. 

Considerat'tvns  of  some  preparatory  Accidenh  before 
the  Entrance  of  Jesus  into  his  Passion. 

1.  He  that  hath  observed  the  story  of  the  life  of 
Jesus,  cannot  but  see  it  all  the  way  to  be  strewed 
with  thorns  and  sharp-pointed  stones;  and,  al- 
though by  the  kisses  of  his  feet  they  became  preci- 
ous and  salutary,  yet  they  procured  to  him  sorrow 
and  disease.  It  was  meat  and  drink  to  him  to  do 
his  Father's  will  ;  but  it  was  bread  of  affliction,  and 
rivers  of  tears  to  drink:  and  for  these  he  thirsted 
like  the  earth  after  the  cool  stream  ;  for  so  great 
was  his  perfection,  so  exact  the  conformity  of  his 
will,  so  absolute  the  subordination  of  his  inferior 
faculties  to  the  infinite  love  of  God,  which  sat  re- 
gent in  the  court  of  his  will  and  understanding, 
that  in  this  election  of  accidents  he  never  con- 
sidered the  taste,  .but  the  goodness;  never  distin- 
guished  sweet  from   bitter,    but   duty    and    piety 

Bcda  de  locis  Sanctis,  c.  2«     Nireph.  lib.  i.  c  32. 


PKEPARATORY    TO    THF,    I'ASSION.  If)*? 

always  prepared  his  table.  And  therefore,  now 
knowing'  that  his  time  determined  by  the  Father 
was  nigh,  he  hastened  up  to  Jerusalem.  '  He  went 
before  his  disciples,'  saith  St.  Mark,  'and  they 
followed  him,  trembling  and  amazed  :'  and  yet  be- 
fore that,  even  then,  when  his  brethren  observed  he 
had  a  design  of  publication  of  himself,  he  suffered 
tliem  to  go  before  him,  and  went  up  as  it  were  in 
secret:  for  so  we  are  invited  to  martyrdom,  and 
suffering  in  a  Christian  cause,  by  so  great  an  ex- 
ample :  the  holy  .Tesus  is  gone  before  us,  anil  it 
were  a  holy  contention  to  strive  whose  zeal  were 
forwardest  in  the  designs  of  hnrniliation  and  self- 
denial.  But  it  were  also  well,  if  in  doing  ourselves 
secular  advantage,  and  j)romoting  our  worldly  in- 
terest, we  should  follow  him,  who  was  ever  more 
distant  from  receiving  honours  than  from  receiving 
a  painful  death.  Those  affections  which  dwell  in 
sadness,  and  are  married  to  grief,  and  lie  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross,  and  trace  the  sad  steps  of  Jesus, 
have  the  wisdom  of  recollection,  the  tempers  of  so- 
briety ;  and  are  the  best  imitations  of  Jesus,  and 
securities  against  the  levity  of  a  dispersed  and  a 
vain  spirit.  This  was  intimated  by  many  of  the 
disciples  of  Jesus  in  the  days  of  the  Spirit,  and 
when  tliey  had  tasted  of  the  good  word  of  Got?, 
and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come  :  for  then  we 
find  many  ambitious  of  martyrdom,  and  that  have 
laid  stratagems  and  designs  by  unusual  deaths  to 
get  a  crown.  The  soul  of  St.  Laurence  was  so 
scorched  with  ardent  desires  of  dying  ibr  his  Lord, 
that  he  accounted  the  coais  of  his  gridiron  but  as 
a  julep  or  the  aspersion  of  cold  water  to  refresh  his 
soul;  they  were  chill  as  the  Alpine  snows  in  re- 
spect of  the  heals  of  his  diviner  flames.     And  if 


£00  CONSIDERATIONS    ON    ACCIDENH 

these  lesser  stars  shine  so  brightly  and  burn  so 
warmly,  what  heat  of  love  may  we  suppose  to  have 
been  in  the  Sun  of  rigljteousness!  If  they  went 
fust  toward  the  crown  of  martyrdom,  yet  we  know 
that  the  holy  Jesus  went  before  them  all.  No  wonder 
that  '  he  cometh  forth  as  a  bridegroom  from  his 
cha,mber,  and  rejoiceth  as  a  giant  to  run  his  course.' 
2.  When  the  disciples  had  overtaken  Jesus,  he 
begins  to  them  a  sad  homily  upon  the  old  text  of 
suffering,  which  he  had  well-nigh  for  a  year  toge- 
ther preached  upon  :  but  because  it  was  an  un- 
pleasing  lesson,  so  contradictory  to  those  interests 
upon  the  hopes  of  which  they  had  entertained 
themselves,  and  spent  all  their  desires,  they  could 
by  no  means  understand  it:  for  an  understanding 
prepossessed  with  a  fancy,  or  an  unhandsome  prin- 
ciple, construes  all  other  notions  to  the  sense  of  the 
first ;  and  whatsoever  contradicts  it,  we  think  it 
an  objection,  and  that  we  are  bound  to  answer  it : 
but  now  that  it  concerned  Christ  to  speak  so  plainly, 
that  his  disciples,  by  what  was  to  happen  within 
five  or  six  days,  might  not  be  scandalized,  or  believe 
it  happened  to  Jesus  without  his  knowledge  and 
voluntary  entertainment,  he  tells  them  of  his  suf- 
ferings to  be  accomplished  in  this  journey  to  Jeru- 
salem. And  here  the  disciples  showed  themselves 
to  be  but  men,  full  of  passion  and  indiscreet  affec- 
tion; and  the  bold  Galilean,  St  Peter,  took  the 
boldness  to  dehort  his  Master  from  so  great  an  in- 
felicity ;  and  met  with  a  reprehension  so  great,  that 
neither  the  Scribes,  nor  the  Pharisees,  nor  Herod 
himself  ever  met  with  its  parallel :  Jesus  called 
him  Satan ;  meaning,  that  no  greater  contradic- 
tions can  be  offered  to  the  designs  of  God  and  his 
holy  Son,  than  to  dis-uade  us  from  suffering  :  and 


PUKl'AKAlOUV    TO     inii.    rA.SSlON.  21)1 

if  We  untlerstood  liow  great  are  Uie  advimtn^es  ol'i 
sufterinj;  comiilion,  we  shouki  think  all  ourclag<fei> 
gilt,  unci  oiir  j>avements  strewed  with  roses,  and 
our  lialters  silken,  and  the  rack  an  instrument  of 
pleasure,  and  be  most  impatient  of  those  temptu 
tions  whieli  seduce  us  into  ease,  and  divorce  us 
I'rom  the  cross,  as  beinj>'  opposite  to  our  greatest 
hopes  and  most  j)errect  desires ;  but  slill  this 
humour  oC  St.  Peter's  imperleclion  abides  amongst 
us.  He  that  breaks  oft"  the  yoke  of  obedience,  and 
unties  the  bands  of  discipline,  and  preaches  a  cheap 
religion,  and  presents  heaven  in  the  midst  ol 
flowers,  and  strews  car|jets  soiter  than  the  Asian 
luxury  in  the  way,  and  sets  the  songs  of  Sion  to 
the  tunes  of  Persian  and  lighter  airs,  and  ofters 
great  liberty  of  living,  and  bondage  under  affection 
and  sins,  and  reconciles  eternity  with  the  present 
enjoyment,  he  shall  have  his  schools  filled  with 
disciples :  but  he  that  preaches  the  cross,  and  the 
severities  of  Christianity,  and  the  strictnesses  of  a 
holy  life,  shall  have  the  lot  of  his  blessed  Lord  ; 
he  shall  be  thought  ill  of,  and  deserted. 

li.  Our  blessed  I/ord,  five  days  before  his  passion, 
sent  his  disciples  to  a  village  to  borrow  an  ass,  that 
he  might  ride  in  triumpli  to  Jerusalem  :  he  had 
none  of  his  own,  l)ut  yet  he  «ho  was  so  dear  to 
God  could  not  want  uhat  was  to  supply  his  needs. 
It  may  be,  Ciod  hath  liu<i  up  our  jjortion  in  the  re- 
positories of  other  men,  and  means  to  furnish  us 
from  their  tables,  to  feed  us  from  their  granaries, 
and  that  their  wardrobe  shall  clothe  us:  for  it  is  all 
one  to  him  to  make  a  fish  bring  us  money,  or  a  crow 
to  bring  us  meat,  or  the  stable  of  our  neighbour  to 
furnisii  our  needs  of  beasts.  If  he  brings  it  to  thy 
nvi-ii  .IS  ihou  uaiitcst  it,   llinu  lia>t  all   the  yood  in 


202  CONSIDLIIATIONS    0\    ACCIDENTS 

the  use  of  the  cretitiire  which  the  owners  can  re- 
ceive :  and  the  horse  which  is  lent  me  in  charity, 
does  me  as  much  ease  ;  and  the  bread  which  is 
given  me  in  alms,  feeds  me  as  well  as  the  other 
part  of  it,  which  the  good  man  that  gave  me  a  por- 
tion reserved  for  his  own  eating,  could  do  to  him. 
And  if  we  would  give  God  leave  to  make  provi- 
sions for  us  in  the  ways  of  his  own  choosing,  and 
not  estimate  our  wants  by  our  manner  of  receiving, 
being  contented,  that  God  by  any  of  his  own  ways 
will  minister  it  to  us,  we  shall  find  our  cares  eased, 
and  our  content  increased,  and  our  thankfulness 
engaged,  and  all  our  moderate  desires  contented 
by  the  satisfaction  of  our  needs:  tor,  if  God  is 
j)leased  to  feed  me  by  my  neighbour's  charity, 
there  is  no  other  difference,  but  that  God  makes 
me  an  occasion  of  his  ghostly  good,  as  he  is  made 
the  occasion  of  my  temporal.  And  if  we  think  it 
disparagement,  ue  may  remember  that  God  con- 
veys more  good  to  him  by  me,  than  to  me  by  him : 
and  it  is  a  proud  impatience,  to  refuse  or  to  be 
angry  with  God's  provisions,  because  he  hath  not 
observed  my  circumstances  and  ceremonies  of  elec- 
tion. 

4.  And  now  begins  that  great  triumph  in  which  the 
holy  Jesus  was  pleased  to  exalt  hisoffice,  and  to  abase 
his  person.  He  rode,  like  a  poor  man,  upon  an  ass, 
a  beast  of  burden,  and  the  lowest  value;  and  yet  it 
was  not  his  own;  and  in  tliat  equipage  he  received 
the  acclamations  due  to  a  mighty  Prince,  to  the 
Son  of  the  eternal  King :  telling  us,  that  the 
smallness  of  fortune,  and  the  rudeness  of  exterior 
halnliments,  and  a  rough  wall,  are  sometimes  the 
ontsides  of  a  great  glory  ;  and  that,  when  God 
means  to  glorify  or  do  honour  to  a  j)erson,  lie  needs 


PREPAKAIuin      lO     nil'     l'A.SSI(>N.  203 

no  help  from  secular  advantages,  lie  hides  great 
riches  in  renunciation  of  the  worki,  and  makes 
great  honour  breathe  forth  from  tlie  clouds  of  humi- 
Jity,  and  victory  to  arise  from  yielding  and  the 
modesty  of  departing  from  cur  interest,  and  peace 
to  be  the  reward  of  him  that  suflers  all  the  hostili- 
ties of  men  and  devils  :  for  Jesus,  in  this  great  hu- 
mility of  his,  gives  a  great  j)robation  tiiat  he  was 
the  Messias,  and  the  King  of  Sion  ;  because  no 
other  king  entered  into  those  gates  riding  upon  an 
ass  ;  and  received  the  honour  of  Hosannah  in  that 
unlikelihood  and  contradiction  of  unecpial  circum- 
stances. 

o.  The  blessed  Jesus  had  never  but  two  days  of 
triumph  in  iiis  life  :  the  one  was  on  his  transfii^ura- 
tion  u|)on  Mount  Talior;  the  other,  tills,  his  riding 
into  the  holy  city.  But  that  it  n:ay  appear  how 
little  were  his  joys  and  present  exterior  compla- 
cencies ;  in  the  day  of  his  transfiguration  JNIuses 
and  Elias  appeared  to  him,  telling  him  what  great 
things  he  was  to  suffer;  and  in  this  day  of  his 
riding  to  Jerusalem,  he  wet  the  palms  with  a  dew 
sweeter  than  the  moistures  upon  Mount  Hermon, 
or  the  drops  of  manna:  for,  to  allay  the  little 
warmth  of  a  springing  joy,  he  let  down  a  shower  of 
tears,  weeping  over  undone  Jerusalem  in  the  day 
of  his  triumph,  leaving  it  disputable  whether  he 
felt  more  joy  or  sorrow  in  the  acts  of  love :  for  he 
triumphed  to  consider  that  the  redemption  of  the 
world  was  so  near;  and  wept  bitteriy  that  men 
would  not  be  redeemed  :  his  joy  was  great,  to  con- 
sider that  himself  was  to  suffer  so  great  sadness 
for  our  good  ;  and  his  sorrow  was  very  great,  to 
consider  that  we  wouM  not  entertain  that  good  that 
he  brouglit  and  laid  before  us  by  his  passion.     He 


201  CUNSIDEUA  IlON^    <»N     AtCIUENrs 

was  in  fij::uie,  us  his  servant  S.  Paphnuliiis  was 
afterwards  in  letter  and  true  story,  "crucitied  ui)((i) 
palms:"'  which  indeed  was  the  emblem  of  u  vic- 
tory ;  but  yet  such  as  had  leaves,  sharp,  poijinant. 
and  vexatious.  However,  lie  entered  into  Jeru- 
salem dressed  in  ijaieties,  which  yet  lie  placed  under 
his  feet;  but  with  such  pomps  and  solemnilies 
each  family,  according  t  >  its  proportion,  was  ac- 
customed to  briui;  I  he  paschal  lamb  t  >  be  slain  for 
the  passover.  And  it  was  not  an  undecent  cere- 
mony, that  '  the  Lamb  slain  (Vi)m  the  beginning 
of  the  world  '  should  be  brought  to  iiis  slaughter, 
with  the  acknowledgments  of  a  religious  solemnity, 
because  now  that  real  good  was  to  I)e  exhibited  to 
the  world,  which  those  little  jnischal  lambs  did 
but  signify  and  represent  in  shadow,  and  that  was 
the  true  cause  of  all  the  little  joy  he  had. 

6.  And  if  we  consider  what  followed,  it  might 
seem  also  to  be  a  design  to  heighten  the  dcjlorous- 
nessof  his  passion.  For  to  descend  from  the  greatest 
of  worldly  honours,  from  the  adoration  of  a  God, 
and  the  acclamations  to  a  king,  to  the  death  of  a 
slave  and  the  torments  of  a  cross,  and  the  disho- 
nours of  a  condemned  criminal,  were  so  great 
stoopings  and  vast  changes,  that  they  gave  height 
and  sense,  and  excellency  to  each  other.  This 
then  seemed  an  excellent  glory,  but  indeed  was 
but  an  art  and  instrument  of  grief.  For  such 
is  the  nature  of  all  our   felicities,  they  end  in  sad- 


'  Palma  est  victorum,  fulniae  tu  aiHxus  es ;  ergo  leetus  obi, 
quoniam  non  nisi  victor  obis. 

"  The  palm  the  victor's  is,  and  to  tne  palm 
Triumphant  thou  wert  bound  : 
Go  forth  !  be  joyous  and  be  calm  ; 
Thou  goest  a  victor  crowned  !" 


JRrPXRATORV    TO    THE    PASSION.  205 

ness,  and  increase  the  sting  of  sorrows,  and  add 
moment  to  them,  and  cause  impatience  and  un- 
comfortable remembrances.  But  the  sfriefs  of  a 
Christian,  whether  they  be  instances  of  repentance, 
or  parts  of  persecution,  or  exercises  of  patience, 
end  in  joy  and  entlless  comfort.  Thus  Jesus,  like 
a  rainbow,  half  made  of  the  j^lories  of  light,  and 
half  of  tiie  moisture  of  a  cloud,  half  triumph  and 
half  sorrow,  entered  into  that  town  where  he  had 
done  much  good  to  others,  and  to  himself  received 
nothing  but  affronts.  Yet  his  tenderness  increased 
upon  him  :  and  that  very  journey,  which  was 
Christ's  last  solemn  visit  for  their  recovery,  he 
doubled  all  the  instruments  of  his  mercy  and  their 
conversion.  He  rode  in  triumph  ;  the  children 
sang  Hosannah  to  him  ;  he  cured  many  diseased 
persons  ;  he  wept  for  them,  and  pitied  them,  and 
sighed  out  the  intimations  of  a  prayer,  and  did 
penance  lor  their  ingratitude ;  and  stayed  all  day 
there,  looking  about  him  towards  evening,  and  no 
man  would  invite  him  home  ;  but  he  was  forced 
to  go  to  Bethany,  where  he  was  sure  of  an  hospi- 
table entertainment.  I  think  no  Christian  that 
reads  this  but  will  be  full  of  indignation  at  the 
whole  city,  who  for  malice  or  for  fear  would  not  or 
durst  not  receive  their  Saviour  into  their  houses  : 
and  yet  we  do  worse  ;  for  now  that  he  is  become 
onr  liord,  with  mightier  demonstrations  of  his 
eternal  power,  we  suffer  him  to  look  round  about 
upon  us  for  months  and  years  together,  and  pos- 
sibly never  entertain  him,  till  our  house  is  ready 
to  rush  upon  our  beads,  and  we  are  going  to  unu- 
sual and  stranger  bal)italions.  And  yet  in  the 
midst  of  a  pojjulous  and  mutinous  city  this  great 
King  had  some  good  subjects,  persons  that  threw 


206      CONSIDEUAIIONS  ON  ACCinEN TS 

away  their  own  garments,  and  laid  them  at  the 
feet  of  our  Lford  ;  that  being  divested  of  their  own, 
they  might  be  reinvested  with  a  robe  of  his  righte- 
ousness, wearing  that  till  it  were  changed  into  a 
stole  of  glory.  The  very  ceremony  of  their  recep- 
tion of  the  Lord  became  symbolical  to  them,  and 
expressive  of  all  our  duties. 

7.  But  I  consider  tiiat  the  blessed  Je^us  had 
affections  no  less  than  infinite  towards  all  man- 
kind :  and  he  who  wept  upon  Jerusalem,  who  had 
done  so  great  despite  to  him,  and  within  five  days 
were  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  iheir  iniquities,  and 
do  an  act  which  all  ages  of  the  world  could  never 
repeat  in  the  same  instance,  did  also  in  the  number 
of  his  tears  reckon  our  sins  as  sad  considerations 
and  incentives  of  his  sorrow.  And  it  would  well 
become  us  to  consider  what  great  evil  we  do,  when 
our  actions  are  such  as  for  which  our  blessed  Lord 
did  weep.  He  who  was  seated  in  the  bosom  of  feli- 
city, yet  he  moistened  his  fresh  laurels  upon  the  day 
of  his  triumph  with  tears  of  love  and  bitter  allay. 
His  day  of  triumph  was  a  day  of  sorrow  :  and  if 
we  would  weep  for  our  sins,  that  instance  of  sorrow 
would  be  a  day  of  triumph  and  jubilee. 

8.  From  hence  tlie  holy  Jesus  went  to  Bethany, 
where  he  had  another  manner  of  reception  than  at 
the  holy  city.  There  lie  supped  :  for  his  goodly 
day  of  triumph  had  been  with  him  a  fasting-day. 
And  Mary  jNlagdalen,  who  had  spent  one  box  of 
nard  pistic  upon  our  Lord's  feet  as  a  sacrifice  of 
eucharist  for  her  conversion,  now  bestowed  ano- 
ther in  tiiankfulness  for  the  restitution  of  her  bro- 
ther Lazarus  to  life,  and  consigned  her  liord  unto 
his  burial.  And  here  she  met  with  an  evil  inter- 
preter:  Judas,  an  apostle,  one  of  the  Lord's  own 


l»Hi:i'Ai! \r<ji!\    lu  uii;   i'assion.  207 

family,  preleiulfd  it  had  been  u  belter  religion  to 
have  given  it  to  the  poor.  But  it  was  malice,  and 
the  spirit  either  of  envy  or  avarice,  iji  him  that 
passed  that  sentence.  For  he  that  sees  a  pious 
action  well  done,  and  seeks  to  undervalue  it  by 
telling  how  it  might  have  been  better,  reproves 
nothing  but  his  own  spirit.  For  a  man  may  do 
very  well,  and  God  would  accept  it;  though  to 
say  he  might  have  done  better,  is  to  say  only  that 
action  was  not  the  most  perfect  and  absolute  in  its 
kind.  But  to  be  angry  at  a  religious  j)erson,  and 
without  any  other  pretence  but  tiiat  he  might  have 
done  better,  is  spiritual  envy  ;  for  a  pious  person 
would  have  nourished  u])  that  infant  action  by  love 
and  praise,  till  it  had  grown  to  the  most  perfect 
and  intelligent  piety.  But  the  event  of  that  man 
gave  the  interpretation  of  his  present  j)urpose  :  and 
at  the  b(;st  il  could  be  no  other  than  a  rash  judg- 
ment of  the  action  and  intention  of  a  religious, 
thankful,  and  holy  person.  But  she  found  her 
Lord,  who  was  her  beneficiary  in  this,  become  her 
patron  and  her  advocate.  And  hereafter,  when 
we  shall  find  the  devil,  tlie  great  accuser  of  God's 
saints,  object  against  the  piety  and  religion  of  holy 
persons,  a  cup  of  cold  water  shall  be  accepted 
unto  reward,  and  a  good  intention  heightened  to 
the  value  of  an  exterior  expression,  and  a  piece  of 
gum  to  the  equality  of  an  holocaust,  and  an  action 
done  with  great  zeal  and  an  intense  love  be  ac- 
quitted from  all  its  adherent  imperfections :  Chri-^t 
receiving  them  into  himself,  and  being  like  tiie 
altar  of  incense,  hallowing  the  very  smoke,  and 
raising  it  into  a  flame,  and  entertaining  it  into  em- 
braces of  the  firmament  and  the  bosom  of  heaven. 
Christ  himself,  who  is  the  judge  of  our  actions,  is 


SOS  CONSIDF.RA  I  IONS    ON    ACCIDENTS 

also  {hi  entertainer  and  object  of  our  charity  an< 
duty,  and  the  advocate  of  our  persons. 

9.  Judas,  who  declaimed  against  the  woman 
made  tacit  reflections  upon  his  Lord  for  suffering 
it.  And,  indeed,  every  obloquy  against  any  oi 
Christ's  servants  is  looked  on  as  an  arrow  shot  into 
the  heart  of  Christ  himself.  And  now  a  persecu- 
tion being  begun  against  the  Lord  within  his  own 
family,  another  was  raised  against  him  from  with- 
out. For  the  chief-priests  '  took  crafty  counsel 
against  Jesus,'  and  called  a  consistory  to  contrive 
'  how  they  might  destroy  him.'  And  here  was  the 
greatest  representment  of  the  goodness  of  God, 
and  the  ingratitude  of  man,  that  could  be  practised 
or  understood.  How  often  had  Jesus  poured 
forth  tears  for  them  I  how  many  sleepless  nights 
had  he  awaked  to  do  them  advantage!  ho.v  many 
days  had  he  spent  in  homilies  and  admirable  visi- 
tations of  mercy  and  charity,  in  casting  out  devils, 
in  curing  their  sick,  in  correcting  their  delinquen- 
cies, in  reducing  them  to  tiie  ways  of  security  and 
peace,  and,  that  we  may  use  the  greatest  expres- 
sion in  the  world,  that  is,  his  own,  '  in  gathering 
them  as  an  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her 
wings,'  to  give  them  strength,  and  warmth,  and 
life,  and  ghostly  nourishment  !  And  the  chief- 
priests,  together  with  their  faction,  use  all  arts  and 
watch  all  oppoitunities  to  get  Christ,  not  that  they 
might  possess  him,  but  to  destroy  him  :  little  con- 
sidering that  they  extinguish  their  own  eyes,  and 
destroy  that  spring  of  life  which  was  intended  to 
them  for  a  blissful  immortality. 

10.  And  here  it  was  that  the  devil  showed  his 
promptness  to  furnish  every  evil-intended  person  with 
apt  instruments  to  act  the  very  worst  of  his  inten- 


PREPAUATOrtY    TO    T1!F    PASSION.  200 

tions.      The  devil  Vnew  their   purpose?,  and   the 
aptness  and  proclivity  of  Judas;  and  hy  hringinjj 
these  together  he  servtd  their  present  design,  and 
his  own  great  intendment.     The   devil  never  fails 
to  promote  every  evil  purpose;  and,  except  where 
God's  restraining  grace  does  intervene  and   intt  r- 
rupt  the  opportunity,  by  interposition  of  different 
and  cress  accidents  to  serve  other  ends  of  provi- 
dence, no  man  easily  is  fond  of  wickedness,  but  he 
shall  receive  enough  to  ruin   him.     Indeed  Nero 
and  Julian,  both  witty  men  and  powerful,  desired 
to  have  been  magicians,  and    could    not:  and   al- 
though possibly  the  devil  would  have  corresponded 
with  them,  who  yet  were   already  his  own  in  all 
degrees  of  security  ;  yet  God   permitted   not  that, 
lest  ibey  might  have  understood  new  ways  of  doing 
despite  to  martyrs   and  afflicted   Christians.     And 
it  concerns  us  not  to  tempt  God,  or  invite  a  for- 
ward enemy.     For  as  we  are  sure  the  devil  is  ready 
to  promote  all  vicious  desires,  and  bring  them  out 
lo  execution  ;  so  we  are  not  sure  that  God  will  not 
|)ermit  him :  and  he  that  desires   to    be  undone, 
and  cures  not  to  be  prevented  by  God's  restrainin<; 
grace,  sball   find   his    ruin  in   the  folly  of  his  own 
tiesires,  and  become  wretched  by  his  own  election. 
Judas,  hearing  of  tliis  congregation  of  the  f)rit'sts, 
went  and  offered  to  betray  his  Lord,  and  made  a 
covenant,  the   price  of  which  was  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  ;  and  he  returned. 

11.  It  is  not  intimated  in  the  history  of  the  life 
of  Jesus,  that  Judas  had  any  malice  against  the 
person  of  Christ ;  for  when  afterwards  he  saw  the 
matter  was  to  end  in  the  death  of  his  I,ord,  he  re- 
pented ;  but  a  base  and  unworthy  spirit  to  covet- 
ousness  possessed   him;   and   the    re'ics  of  indig- 

\in..    II.  3G 


210  CMJNSIDEIIAII   tN>    <JF    ACCIDtNTS 

nation,  for  missing  the  price  of  the  ointment  which 
the  holy  Magdalen  had  poured  upon  liis  feet,  burnt 
in  liis  bowels  with  a  secret,  dark,  melancholic  tirc\ 
and  made  an  eruption  into  an  act  which  all  a-^e^  of 
the  world  could  never  parallel.  They  appointed  iiini 
for  hire  thirty  pieces;  and  some  say  that  every  piece 
did  in  value  equal   ten  ordinary  current  deniers : 
and  so  Judas  was  satisfied  by  receiving  the  worth 
of  three  hundred  pence,  at  which  he  valued  the 
nard   pistic.      But    hereafter  let   no    Christian  be 
ashamed    to    be   despised   and    undervalued  ;    for 
he  will  hardly  meet  so  great  reproach,  as  to  have  so 
disproportioned  a  price  set  upon  his  life  as  was  upon 
the  holy  Jesus.     St.  Mary  Magdalen  thought  it  not 
good  enough  to  aneal  his  sacred  feet ;  Judas  thought 
it  a  sufficient  price  for  his  head  :  for  covetousness 
aims  at  base  and  low  purchases ;  whilst  holy  love 
is  great  and  comprehensive  as  the  bosom  of  heaven, 
and  aims  at  nothing  that  is  less  than  infinite.     The 
love  of  God  is  a  holy  fountain,  limpid  and  pure, 
sweet  and  salutary,  lasting  and  eternal ;  the  love 
of  money  is  a  vertiginous  pool,  sucking  all  into  it 
to  destroy  it;  it  is  troubled  and  uneven,  giddy  and 
unsafe,  serving  no  end  but  its  own,  and  that  also 
in  a  restless  and  uneasy  motion.     The  love  of  God 
spends  itself  upon  him,  to  receive  again  the  reflec- 
tions of  grace  and  benediction  ;  the  love  of  money 
spends   all    its    desires   upon    itself,   to    purchase 
nothing  but  unsatisfying  instruments  of  exchange, 
or  supernumerary  provisions  ;  and  ends  in  dissatis- 
faction, and  emptiness  of  spirit,  and  a  bitter  curse. 
St.    Mary  Magdalen   was    defended    by    her  Lord 
against  calumny,  and  rewarded  with  an  honourable 
mention  to  all  ages  of  the  church  ;  besides  unction 
from  above  which  she  shortly  after  received  to  con- 


IMltrAllATOIlY     Vi)    Till:     I'ASSION.  211 

gign  lier  to  crowns  and  sce|)ters :  but  Judas  was 
described  in  tlie  Scripture,  tlje  book  of  life,  witb  the 
black  character  of  death  ;  he  was  disi^iaced  to  eter- 
nal ajjes,  and  presently  after  acted  his  own  tragedv 
with  a  sad  and  ignoble  death. 

\2.  Now,  all  things  being  fitted,  our  Ijlessed 
Lord  sends  two  disciples  to  prepare  the  passover. 
that  he  mij^ht  fulfil  the  law  of  Moses,  and  pass  from 
ihence  to  institutions  evangelical,  and  then  fulfil 
his  sufierings.  Christ  gave  them  a  sign  to  guide 
them  to  the  house — a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of 
watei":  by  which  some,  that  delight  in  mystical 
significations,  say  was  tyj)ified  the  sacrament  of 
baptism  :  meaning,  that,  although  by  the  occasion 
of  the  paschal  solemnity  the  holy  eucharist  was 
first  instituted,  yet  it  was  afterwards  to  be  applied 
to  practice,  according  to  the  sense  of  this  accident ; 
only  baptized  persons  were  aj)t  suscipients  of  tin*, 
other  more  perfective  rite,  as  the  taking  nutriment 
supposes  persons  born  into  the  world,  and  within 
the  common  conditions  of  human  nature;  but  in 
the  letter  it  was  an  instance  of  the  divine  Omnis- 
cience, who  could  pronounce  concerning  accidents 
at  distance  as  if  they  were  present;  and  yet  also, 
like  the  provision  of  the  colt  to  rule  on,  it  was  an 
instance  of  [)rovidence,  and  security  of  all  God's 
sons  for  their  portion  of  temporals.  Jesus  had  not 
a  lamb  of  his  own,  and  possibly  no  money  in  the 
bags  to  buy  one;  and  yet  Providence  was  his 
guide,  and  the  charity  of  a  good  man  was  his  j)ro- 
veditore  ;  and  he  found  excellent  conveniences  in 
the  entertainments  of  an  hospitable  good  man,  as 
if  he  had  dwelt  in  Ahab's  ivory-house,  and  had  had 
the  riches  of  Solomon,  and  the  meat  of  his  house- 
hold. 


S12  CONSIIJIUATIONS    or    ACCIDENTS 


THE  PKAYER. 

I. 

O  holy  King  of  Sion,  eternal  Jesus,  who  with  great  humility 
and  infinite  love  didst  enter  into  the  holy  city,  riding  upon  an 
ass,  that  thou  mightest  verify  the  predictions  of  the  prophet*, 
and  give  example  of  meekness,  and  of  the  gentle  and  paternal 
government  which  the  eternal  Father  laid  upon  thy  shoulders ; 
be  pleased,  dearest  Lord,  to  enter  into  my  soul  with  triumph, 
trampling  over  all  thine  enemies ;  and  give  me  grace  to  enter- 
tain thee  with  joy  and  adoration,  with  abjection  of  my  own  de- 
sires,  with  lopping  off  all  my  superfluous  branches  of  a  temporal 
condition,  and  spending  them  in  the  offices  of  charity  and  reli- 
gion, and  divesting  myself  of  all  my  desires,  laying  them  at  thy 
holy  feet ;  that  I  may  bear  the  yoke  and  burden  of  the  Lord 
with  alacrity,  with  love,  and  the  wonders  of  a  satisfied  and  tri- 
umphant spirit.  Lord,  enter  in  and  take  possession  ;  and  thou, 
to  whose  honour  the  very  stones  would  give  testimony,  m.ake  my 
stony  heart  an  instrument  of  thy  praises ;  let  me  strew  thy  way 
with  flowers  of  virtue,  and  the  holy  rosary  of  Christian  graces. 
And  by  thy  aid  and  example  let  us  also  triumph  over  all  our  in- 
lirniitiei  and  hostilities,  and  then  lay  our  victories  at  thy  feet, 
and  at  last  follow  thee  into  thy  heavenly  Jerusalem,  with  palms 
in  our  hands,  and  joy  in  our  hearts,  and  eterm.l  acclamations  on 
our  lips,  rejoicing  in  thee  ;  and  singing  hallelujahs  in  a  happy 
eternity  to  thee,  O  holy  King  of  Sion,  eternal  Jesus.     Amen. 

II. 

O  blessed  and  dear  Lord,  who  wert  pleased  to  permit  thyself 
to  be  sold  to  the  assemblies  of  evil  persons  for  a  vile  price,  by 
one  of  thy  own  servants,  for  whom  thou  hadst  done  so  great  fa- 
vours, and  hadst  designed  a  crown  and  a  throne  to  him  ;  and  he 
turned  hiinself  into  a  sooty  coal,  and  entered  into  the  portion  of 
evil  angels ;  teach  us  to  value  thee  above  all  the  joys  of  men,  to 
prize  thee  at  an  estimate  beyond  all  the  wealth  of  nature,  to  buy 
wisdom,  and  not  to  sell  it,  to  part  with  all  that  we  may  enjoy 
thee.  And  let  no  temptation  abuse  our  understandings,  no  loss 
vex  us  into  impatience,  no  frustration  of  hope  fill  us  with  indig- 
nation, no  press-ure  of  calamitous  accidents  make  us  angry  at  thee, 
the  fountain  (if   love  aiul  ble.-siiig,  no  covetou?ness  transport  u* 


PRl  I'AIIA  lollV    TK    Tfir     I'ASSION.  'iJ3 

Into  the  suburbs  of  hell  and  the  regions  of  sin  ;  but  make  us  to 
love  thee  as  well  as  ever  any  creature  loved  thee ;  that  we  may 
never  burn  in  any  fires  but  of  a  holy  love,  nor  sink  in  any  inun- 
dation but  what  proceeds  from  penitential  showers,  and  suffer  no 
violence  but  of  implacable  desires  to  live  with  thee ;  and  when 
thou  callest  us,  to  suffer  with  thee,  and  for  thee.     Amen. 

III. 

Lord,  let  me  never  be  betrayed  by  myself,  or  any  violent  ac- 
cident and  importunate  temptation  ;  let  me  never  be  sold  for  the 
vile  price  of  temporal  gain,  or  transient  pleasure ;  or  a  pleasant 
dream  ;  but,  since  thou  hast  bought  me  with  a  price,  even  then 
when  thou  wert  sold  thyself,  let  me  never  be  separated  from  thy 
possession.  I  am  thine,  bought  with  a  price :  Lord,  save  me ; 
and  in  the  day  when  thou  bindest  up  thy  jewels,  remember, 
liord,  that  I  cost  thee  as  dear  as  any,  and  therefore  cast  me  not 
into  the  portion  of  Judas  ;  but  let  me  walk  and  dwell,  and  bathe 
in  the  field  of  thy  blood,  and  pass  from  hence  pure  and  sanctified 
into  the  society  of  the  elect  apostles,  receiving  my  part  with  them, 
and  my  lot  in  the  communications  of  thy  inheritance,  O  gracious 
Lord,  and  dearest  Saviour,  Jesus.     Amen. 


Considerations  upon   the    Washing    of  the  Disciples' 
Feet  h}/  Jesus,  and  his  Sermon  of  Humility. 

I.  The  holy  .Testis  went  now  to  eat  his  last 
paschal  supper,  and  to  finish  the  work  of  his  le<)[a- 
tion,  and  to  fiiKil  that  ])art  of  the  law  of  jMoses  in 
every  of  its  smallest  and  most  minute  particulari- 
ties; in  which  also  the  actions  were  significant  ot 
spiritual  duties:  which  we  may  transfer  from  the 
letter  to  the  spirit  in  our  own  instances;  that  as 
Jesus  ate  the  paschal  lamb  with  a  staff  in  his 
hand,  with  his  loins  £jirt,  with  sandals  on  iiis  f»!et. 
in  threat  haste,  with  unleavened  bread,  and  witli 
I'ltti-r  hcil)s  ;  si^  \\v  ulsn  should  do  all  our  services 


'2\A  CONSIDEriAIIONS    LMOS 

according  to  the  signification  of"  these  symbols, 
leaning  upon  the  cross  of  Jesus  for  a  staff,  and 
bearing  the  rod  of  his  government,  with  loins  girt 
v\  ilh  angelical  chastity,  with  shoes  on  our  feet,  that 
so  we  may  guard  and  have  custody  over  our  affec- 
tions, and  be  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the  gos|)fl 
of  peace,  eating  in  haste,  as  becomes  persons  hun- 
gering and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  doing  the 
work  of  the  Lord  zealously  and  ft^rvently,  without 
the  leven  of  malice  and  secular  interest,  with  bitter 
herbs  of  self-denial,  and  mortification  of  our  sensual 
and  inordinate  desires.  The  sense  and  mystery  of 
the  whole  act  with  all  its  circumstances  is,  that  we 
obey  all  the  sanctions  of  the  divine  law  ;  and  that 
every  part  of  our  religioji  be  pure  and  j)eaceable, 
chaste  and  obedient,  confident  in  God,  and  difhdent 
in  ourselves,  frequent  and  zealous,  humble  and  re- 
signed, just  anti  charitable;  arid  there  will  not 
easily  be  wanting  any  just  circumstance  to  hallow 
and  consecrate  the  action. 

2.  ^\  hen  the  holy  Jesus  had  finished  liis  last 
Mosaic  rite,  he  descends  to  give  example  of  tiie 
first-fruit  of  evangelical  graces:  he  rises  from  sup- 
per, lays  aside  his  garment,  like  a  servant,  and 
with  all  the  circumstances  of  an  humble  ministry, 
washes  the  feet  of  his  disciples,  beginning  at  first 
with  St.  Peter,  until  he  came  to  Judas,  the  traitor  ; 
that  we  might  in  one  scheme  see  a  rare  con- 
junction of  charity  and  hnmility,  of  self-denial 
and  indifferency,  represented  by  a  person  glo- 
rious and  great,  their  Lord  and  Master  sad  and 
troubled.  And  he  chose  to  wash  their  feet  rather 
than  their  head,  that  he  might  have  the  op- 
portunity of  a  more  humble  posture,  and  a  more 
apt  signification  of   iiis    chanty.     Thus  God    lays 


CHRIST  S    SERMl»N    OF    Hl.MM.ITV.  215 

every  thing  aside  that  lie  may  serve  his  servants ; 
heaven  stoops  to  eartii,  and  one  abyss  calls  upon 
another,  and  the  miseries  of  man,  which  were  next 
to  infinite,  are  excelled  by  a  mercy  equal  to  the 
immensity  of  God.  And  this  washing-  of  their 
feet,  which  was  an  accustomed  civility  and  enter- 
tainment of  iionoured  strangers  at  the  beginnini^  of 
their  meal,  Christ  deferred  to  the  end  of  the  pas- 
chal supper,  that  it  miffht  be  the  preparatory  to 
the  second,  u  Inch  he  intended  should  be  festi- 
val to  all  the  world.  St.  Peter  was  troubled  that 
the  hands  of  his  Lonl  should  wash  his  servants' 
feet;  those  hands  which  had  opened  the  eyes  of 
the  blind,  and  cured  lepers,  and  healed  all  diseases, 
and  when  lilt  up  to  heaven  were  omnipotent,  and 
could  restore  life  to  dead  and  buried  persons  :  he 
counteil  it  a  great  indecency  for  him  to  suft'er  it. 
But  it  was  no  more  than  was  necessary  :  for  they 
had  but  lately  been  earnest  in  dispute  for  prece- 
dency ;  and  it  v\as  of  itself  so  apt  to  swell  inti> 
tumour  and  inconvenience,  that  it  was  not  to  be 
cured  but  by  some  prodigy  of  example  and  mira- 
cle of  humility ;  which  tlie  holy  Jesus  offered  to 
them  in  this  express,  calling  them  to  learn  some 
great  lesson  ;  a  lesson  which  God  descended  from 
heaven  to  earth,  from  riches  to  poverty,  from  essen- 
tial innocence  to  the  disreputation  of  a  sinner, 
from  a  master  to  a  servant,  to  learn  us  ;  that  is, 
that  we  should  esteem  ourselves  but  just  as  we 
are,  low,  sinful,  miserable,  needy,  and  unworthy. 
It  seems  it  is  a  great  thing,  that  man  should  come 
to  have  just  and  equal  thoughts  of  himself,  that 
(Jod  used  such  puweriid  arts  to  transmit  this  les- 
son, ant!  engrave   it    in    the  spirits  of  men;  and  if 


216  roNSIDTR KTIdNS    ICON 

the  receipt  fails,  we  are  eternally  lost  in  the  mists 
of"  vanity,  and  enter  into  the  condition  of  those 
angels  whom  pride  transformed  and  spoiled  into 
the  condition  of  devils.  And  upon  consideration 
of  this  ^^reat  example,  Guericus,  a  good  man.  cried 
out,  "  Thou  hast  overcome,  O  Lord,  thou  hast 
overcome  my  pride ;  this  example  hath  mastered 
me :  I  deliver  myself  up  into  thy  hands,  never  to 
receive  liberty  or  exaltation  but  in  the  condition  of 
thy  humblest  servant." 

3.  And  to  this  purpose  St.  Bernard  hath  an  af- 
fectionate and  devout  consideration,'  saying,  "  Tiiat 
some  of  the  angels,  as  soon  as  they  were  created, 
had  an  ambition  to  become  like  God,  and  to  as- 
pire into  the  throne  which  God  had  appointed  lo 
tke  holy  Jesus  in  eternal  ages.  When  God  created 
man,  presently  the  devil  rubbed  his  leprosy  upon 
him,  and  he  would  needs  be  like  God  too;  and 
Satan  promised  him  that  he  should.  As  the  evil 
angels  would  have  been  like  to  God  in  power  and 
majesty,  so  man  would  have  been  like  him  in 
knowledge,  and  have  imitated  the  wisdon)  of  the 
eternal  Father.  But  man  had  the  fate  of  Gehazi ; 
he  would  needs  have  the  talent  and  garments  of 
Lucifer,  and  he  had  also  his  plague ;  he  lost  para- 
dise for  his  pride.  And  now  what  might  befit  the 
Son  of  God  to  do,  seeing  man  so  lost,  and  God  so 
7ealous  of  his  honour  P  I  see  (saitli  he)  that  by 
occasion  of  me  the  Father  loses  Ijis  creatures;  for 
they  have  all  aspired  to  be  like  me,  and  are  fallen 
into  the  greatest  infelicities.     Behold,  I  will  go  to- 


'  Qiiomodo  non  humiliabitur  homo  sub  tarn  hurnili  Deo  ? 
S.  Bernard. — "  How  can  man  refuse  to  humble  himself  undef 
80  humble  a  God  ?" 


rnrii^iN  >ii{m«>\   i>r   iiimii.ii  v.  ?]> 

ward  man  in  sncli  a  form,  lliat  wliosnever  (Voui 
henceforth  would  become  like  me  shall  be  so,  and 
be  a  o-ainer  by  it.  And  for  this  cause  the  Son  of 
C-od  came  from  heaven,  and  made  himself  a  ])onr 
humble  person,  anti  by  all  the  actions  of  his  life, 
commented  upon  tiie  i)resent  discourse:"  *  Learn 
of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  humble  of  heart." 
Blessed  be  that  mercy  and  bounty  which  moved 
Almighty  God  to  condescend  to  that  so  great  ap- 
petite we  had  of  bein<^  like  him  :  for  now  we  may 
be  like  unto  God,  but  it  must  he  by  humility,  of 
which  he  hath  given  us  an  example  powerful  as 
miracles,  and  as  gn-at  as  our  own  pride  and  mi- 
scry. 

4.  And  indeed  our  blessed  Lord,  knowing  that 
examples  are  like  maps  and  perfect  schemes,  in 
which  the  whole  continent  may  at  once  he  repre- 
sented to  the  eye  to  all  the  purposes  of  art  and 
benefit,  did,  in  the  latter  end  of  his  life,  draw  up 
the  dispersions  and  larger  harvest  of  his  precepts, 
binding  ihem  in  the  bundle  of  great  examples, 
and  casting  them  into  actions  as  into  sums  total. 
For  so  this  act  of  washing  the  feet  of  his  own  mi- 
nisters, and  then  dying  for  them,  and  for  all  his 
enemies,  did  preach  the  three  great  sums  of  evan- 
gelical perfection  with  an  admirable  energy  and 
abbreviature ;  humility  and  churity  and  suffer- 
ings, being  to  Christianity  as  the  bo  ly  and  the 
soul  and  the  spirit  are  to  the  whole  man.  For  no 
man  brings  a  sad  funeral  into  the  theatre  to  make 
his  spectators  merry,  nor  can  well  preach  chastity  in 
the  impurity  of  the  IJordelii,  or  persuade  tempe- 
rance, when    himself  is   full  of  wine  and  luxury, 

'  Watt.  \\.  29. 


218  CONSIOKK  \  rn>Ns    VV  )\ 

and  enters  into  the  b;itlis  to  boil  liis  undiu^'esteil 
meat,  that  he  may  relnrn  to  his  second  supper, 
and  breathes  forth  impure  belchings  to^jetlier  with 
his  homily.  A  poor  eremite,  or  a  severely-iivinff 
philosopher,  into  whose  life  his  own  precepts  have 
c'^jscended,  and  his  doctrine  is  minified  with  his 
soul,  mingles  also  effect  and  virtue  with  homilies, 
and  incorporates  his  doctrine  in  the  hearts  of  his 
disciples.  And  this  the  holy  Jesus  did  in  his  own 
person,  bearing  the  burden  first  upon  his  own 
shoulders,  that  we  may  with  better  alacrity  un- 
dergo what  our  blessed  Lord  bears  with  us  and  for 
us.  But  that  we  may  the  better  understand  what 
our  blessed  Lord  designed  to  us  in  this  lecture,  let 
us  consider  the  proper  acts  of  humility  which  in- 
tegrate the  virtue. 

0.  The  first  is,  Christ's  humble  man  thinks 
meanly  of  himself.  And  there  is  great  reason 
every  man  should.  For  his  body  is  but  rottenness 
and  infirmity  covered  with  a  fair  mantle;  a  dung- 
hill overcast  with  snow.  And  if  we  consider  sad- 
ly, that  from  trees  and  plants  come  oil,  balsam, 
wine,  spices,  and  aromatic  odours,  and  that  from 
the  sinks  of  our  body  no  such  sweet  or  salutary 
emanations  are  observed ;  we  may  at  least  think 
it  unreasonable  to  boast  our  beauty,  which  is  no- 
thing but  a  clear  and  well-coloured  skin,  which 
every  thing  in  the  world  can  spoil;  or  our  strength, 
which  an  ague  tames  into  the  infirmities  of  a  child, 
and  in  which  we  are  excelled  by  a  bull  ;  or  any 
thing  of  our  body,  which  is  nothing  but  an  unridy 
servant  of  the  soul,  marked  with  characters  oi'  want 
and  dependence,  and  begging  help  from  all  the 
element-;  and  upon  a  little  disturbance  growiivj; 
troublesome  to  itself  by  ils  own    impurities.      And 


CHRisi  s  sr.HMoN  or  HtMiLrrv.  2ly 

y<-t  tlieie  is  no  reason  in  respect  of  the  soul  for 
any  man  to  exalt  himself  above  his  brother;  be- 
cause all  reasonable  souls  are  equal,  and  that  one 
is  wise,  and  another  is  foolish  or  less  learned,  is  by 
accident  and  extrinsic  causes.  God  at  first  makes 
ill!  alike;  but  an  indisposed  body,  or  an  inoppor- 
linu;  education,  or  evil  customs,  superinduce  varie- 
ty an<i  difference.  And  if  God  discerns  a  man 
from  his  brother  by  distinction  of  [jifts,  it  alters  not 
the  case ;  still  the  man  hath  iiothinf^  of  himself 
that  can  call  him  excellent.  It  is  as  if  a  wall  upon 
which  the  sun  reflects  should  boast  itself  against 
another  that  stands  in  the  shadow.  Greater  glory 
is  to  be  paid  to  God  for  the  discerning  gifts ;  but 
to  take  any  of  it  to  ourselves,  or  rise  higher  than 
our  brother,  or  advance  our  own  opinion,  is  as  if  a 
man  should  be  proud  of  being  in  debt,  and  think 
it  the  greater  excellency  that  he  is  charged  with 
heavier  and  more  severe  accounts. 

(i.  Tiiis  act  consists  not  in  declamations  and 
forms  of  satire  against  ourselves;  saying,  I  am  a  mi- 
serable, sinful  creature;  lam  proud,  or  covetous,  or 
ignorant :  for  many  men  say  so  that  are  not  willing 
to  be  thought  so.'  Neither  is  humility  a  virtue 
made  up  of  wearing  old  clothes,  or  doing  servile 
and  mean  employments  by  voluntary  undertaking, 
or  of  sullen  gestures,  or  demiss  beliaviour,  and  ar- 
tifice of  lowly  expressions;  for  lliese  may  become 
snares  to  invite  and  calch  at  honour;  and  then 
they  arc  collateral  designs  uf   pride,  and  direct  ac- 

'  Auterantur  omnia  figmenta  vcrbonnn,  cessent  mulati  gestus, 
verum  humilem  patientia  ostendit.  S.  Ilier.  — "  Let  all  the  af- 
fectations of  words  and  gestures  be  despised  :  patience  is  the  best 
proof  of  a  man's  humility.'" 


220  CONSIDF.RATIONS     IJPOV 

tions  of  hypocrisy.  But  It  consists  in  a  true  un- 
derstanding of  our  own  condition,  and  separatinof 
our  own  nothing  from  the  good  we  have  received, 
and  giving  to  God  all  the  glory,  taking  to  ourselves 
all  the  shame  and  dishonour  due  to  our  sinful  con- 
dition. He  that  thinks  himself  truly  miserable 
and  vilified  by  sin,  hates  it  perfectly;  and  he  that 
knows  himself  to  be  nothing,  cannot  be  exalted  in 
himself;  and  whatsoever  is  besides  these  two  ex- 
tremes, of  a  natural  nothing,  and  a  superadded  sin, 
must  be  those  good  tilings  we  have  received,  which, 
because  they  derive  from  God,  must  make  all  their 
returns  thither.  But  this  act  is  of  greater  difficulty 
in  persons  pious,  full  of  gifts  and  eminent  in 
graces,  who,  being  fellow-workers  together  with 
God,  sometimes  grow  tacitly  and  without  notice 
given,  to  confide  in  themselves,  and  with  some 
freer  fancy  ascribe  too  much  of  the  good  action  to 
their  own  choice  and  diligence,  and  take  up  their 
crowns,  which  lie  at  the  foot  of  the  throne,  and  set 
them  upon  their  own  heads.  For  a  sinner  to  de- 
sire to  be  esteemed  a  sinner,  is  no  more  humility 
than  it  is  for  the  son  of  a  ploughman  to  confess  liis 
father  :  but  indeed  it  is  hard  for  a  man  to  be  cried 
up  for  a  saint,  to  walk  upon  the  spire  of  glory, 
and  to  have  no  adherence  or  impure  mixtures  of 
vanity  grow  upon  the  outside  of  his  heart.  All 
men  have  not  such  heads  as  to  walk  in  gre;it 
heights  without  giddiness  and  unsettled  eyes.  Lu- 
cifer and  many  angels,  walking  upon  the  battle- 
ments of  heaven,  grew  top-heavy,  and  fell  into  the 
state  of  devils.  And  the  father  of  the  Christian 
eremites,  St.  Anthony,  was  frequently  attempted 
by  the  devil,  and  solicited  to  vanity;  the  devil  usu- 


CHRISl  M    .^LUMO.N    Ol     HLMIl.IIV  221 

ally  makino:  fantastic  noises  to  be  heard  before  liini, 
"  Make  room  for  the  saint  and  servant  of  God  !"' 
But  the   good  man  knew  Christ's  voice  to  be  a  low 
base  of  humility,  and  that  it  was  the  noise  of  hell 
that  invited  to  complacencies  and  vanity;  and  there- 
fore took  the  example  of  the  apostles,  who,  in  the 
midst  of  the  greatest  reputation   and  spiritual  ad- 
vancements, were  dead  unto  the  world,  and  seemed 
to  live  in  the  state  of  separation.     For  the  true  stat- 
ing our  own  question,  and  knowing  ourselves,  must 
needs  represent  us  set  in  the  midst  of  infinite  im- 
perfections,   laden    with    sins,    choked    with    the 
noises  of  a  polluted   conscience — persons  fond  of 
trifles,  neglecting  objects  fit  for  wise  men,  full  of 
ingratitude,   and    all  such  things  which  in  every 
man  else  we  look   upon   as  scars  and  deformities, 
and  which  we  use  to  single  out,  and  take  one  alone 
as  sufficient  to  disgrace  and  disrepute  all  the  excel- 
lencies of  our  neighbour.     But  if  we  would  esteem 
them   with    the   same   severity   in    ourselves,  and 
remember   with    how   many    such    objections   our 
little  felicities  are  covered,  it  would  make  us  cha- 
ritable in  our  censures,  compassionate  and  gentle 
to  others,  apt  to  excuse,  and   as  ready  to  support 
their  weaknesses ;  and  in  all  accidents  and  chances 
to  ourselves,  to  be  content  and  thankful,  as  know- 
ing the  worst  of  poverty  and  inconvenience  to  be  a 
mercy  and  a  splendid    fortune   in   respect  of  our 
demerits.     I   have  read,  that  "when  the  duke   of 
Candia  had  voluntarily  entered  into  the  incommo- 
dities  of  a  religious  poverty  and  retirement,  be  was 
one  day  spied  and  pitied  by  a  lord  of  Italy,  who 

>  &  Hier.  in  Vii.  ij.  Anton. 


2'22  CONSIDERATIONS    CPON 

out  of  tenderness  wished  liim  to  be  more  careful 
and  nutritive  of  his  person.  The  good  duke  an- 
swered, 'Sir.be  not  troubled,  and  think  not  that  I  am 
ill  provided  of  conveniences  :  for  I  send  a  harbinger 
before,  who  makes  ray  lodgings  ready,  and  takes 
care  that  T  be  royally  entertained.'  The  lord  asked 
him  who  was  his  harbinger.  He  answered,  '  The 
knowledge  of  myself,  and  the  conisideration  of  what 
I  deserve  for  my  sin,  which  is  eternal  torments; 
and  when  witli  this  knowledge  I  arrive  at  my 
lodging,  how  unprovided  soever  I  find  it,  methinks 
it  is  ever  better  than  I  deserve.'  "  The  sum  of  this 
meditation  consists  in  believing,  and  considering, 
and  reducing  to  practice  those  thoughts,  that  we 
are  nothing  of  ourselves,  that  we  have  nothing  of 
our  own,  that  we  have  received  more  than  ever  we 
can  discharge,  that  we  have  added  innumerable 
sins,  that  we  can  call  nothing  our  own  but  such 
things  which  we  are  ashamed  to  own,  and  such 
things  which  are  apt  to  ruin  us.  If  we  do  nothing 
contrary  to  the  purpose  and  hearty  persuasion  of 
such  thoughts,  then  we  think  me.anly  of  ourselves. 
And  in  order  to  it,  we  may  make  use  of  this  advice: 
— to  let  no  day  pass  without  some  sad  recollection 
and  memory  of  somewhat  which  may  put  us  to 
confusion  and  mean  opinion  of  ourselves  :  either 
call  to  mind  the  worst  of  our  sins,  or  tlie  indis- 
creetest  of  our  actions,  or  the  greatest  of  our  shame, 
or  the  uncivilestof  our  affronts;  any  thing  to  make 
us  descend  lower,  and  kiss  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain. And  this  consideration  applied  also  to  every 
tumour  of  spirit,  as  soon  as  it  rises,  may  possibly 
allay  it. 

7.  Secondly,  Christ's  humble  man    bears    con- 


rilltlSTS    SKHMO.N    OF    Ill-^IILltV.  223 

fiirm-Iies  evenly  anti  sweetly,  and  desires  not  to  be 
hononred  I>y  others."  He  chooses  to  (lo  those 
things  tiiut  deserve  honour  and  a  fair  name  ;  hot 
then  eats  not  of  those  fruits  liimself,  but  transmits 
fhrm  to  the  use  of  others,  and  the  glory  of  God 
Tliis  is  a  certain  consequence  of  the  other :  for  he 
that  truly  disesteems  himself,  is  content  that  others 
should  do  so  too ;  and  he  who  with  some  regret 
and  impatience  hears  himself  scorned  or  under- 
vahu'd,  l)alh  not  acquired  the  grace  of  humility. 
AVhich  Serapion  in  Cassian  noted  to  a  young  per- 
son, who  [)erpetually  accused  himself,  with  the 
greatest  semblances  of  humility,  l)at  was  impatient 
when  Serapion  reproved  him.  "  Did  you  hope 
that  I  would  have  praised  your  humility,  and  have 
reputed  you  for  a  saint?  It  is  a  strange  perverse- 
iiess  to  desire  others  to  esteem  highly  of  you,  for 
that  in  which  to  yourself  you  seem  most  unwor- 
thy."' He  that  inquires  into  the  faults  of  his  own 
actions,  requiring  them  that  saw  them  to  tell  him 
in  what  he  did  amiss,  not  to  learn  the  fault  but  to 
engage  them  to  praise  it,  cozens  himself  into  pride, 
and  makes  humility  the  instrument.  And  a  man 
would  be  ashamed  were  he  told  that  he  used  stra 
tagems  for  praise.  But  so  glorious  a  thing  is  liu- 
n)ility,  that  pride,  to  hide  her  own  shame,  puts  on 

'  Ama  nesciri  et  pro  nihilo  rqjutari. — Gcrson. — •'  Love  to  l>e 
obscure  and  regarded  as  of  no  estiniaiion.'' 

-  Appetere  de  huniilitate  laudeni,  humilitatis  non  est  virtus, 
sed  subvcrsio.  Quid  enini  perversum  niagis  aut  indignius, 
f|uani  ut  inde  vclis  liaberi  nielior,  unde  tibi  viderio  deterior  'i — 
>.  Hernard.  — "  To  seek  praise  for  our  hiuiiility.  is  not  to  possess 
but  to  destroy  the  virtue  :  for  what  can  be  more  inconsistent  than 
to  wihh  to  be  considered  the  better  for  that  by  which  we  appeal 
worse  to  ourselves."     Kcchis.  sii.  11. 


224  Ctl.NSlDKUATlONS    L'I'ON 

the  other's  visor ;  it  beins  niore  to  a  proud  man's 
purposes  to  seem  humble  than  to  be  so.  And 
such  was  the  Cynic  whom  Lucian  derided,  because 
that  one  searching-  his  scrip,  in  expectation  to  have 
found  in  it  mouldy  bread  or  old  rags,  he  discovered 
a  bale  of  dice,  a  box  of  perfumes,  and  the  picture 
of  his  fair  mistress,  Carisianus  walked  in  his 
gown  in  the  feast  of  Saturn  ;  and  when  all  Rome 
was  let  loose  in  wantonness,  he  put  on  the  long 
robe  of  a  senator  and  a  severe  person  ;  and  yet 
nothing  was  more  lascivious  than  he.  But  the 
devil's  pride  prevails  sometimes  upon  the  spirit  ot 
lust.  Humility  neither  directly  nor  by  conse- 
quence seeks  for  praise,  and  suffers  it  not  to  rest 
upon  its  own  pavement,  but  reflects  it  all  upon 
God,  and  receives  all  lessenings  and  instruments 
of  affront  and  disgrace,  that  mingle  not  with  sin  or 
indecencies, more  willingly  than  panegyrics.  When 
otiiers  have  their  desires,  thou  not  thine;  the  say- 
ings of  another  are  esteemed,  thine  slighted  ;  others 
ask  and  obtain,  thou  beggest  and  art  refused  ;  they 
are  cried  up,  thou  disgraced  and  hissed  at ;  and 
while  they  are  employed,  thou  art  laid  by,  as  fit 
for  nothing;  or  an  unworthy  person  commands 
thee  and  rules  thee  like  a  tyrant;  he  reproves  thee, 
suspects  thee,  reviles  thee;  canst  thou  bear  this 
sweetly,  and  entertain  the  usage  as  thy. just  por- 
tion, and  as  an  accident  most  fit  and  proper  to 
thy  person  and  condition  ?  Dost  tliou  not  raise 
theatres  to  thyself,  and  take  delight  in  the  supple- 
tories  of  thy  own  good  opinion,  and  the  flatteries 
of  such  whom  thou  endearesl  to  thee,  that  their 
praising  thee  should  heal  the  wounds  of  thine  ho- 
nour by  an  imaginary  and   fantastic   restitution  ' 


^       CHUISrS    SERMON    l.f    IILMIl.lTY.  226 

He  lliiit  IS  not  content  and  patient  in  affronts,  hath 
not  yet  k-arned  humility  of  the  holy  Jesus. 

8.  Thirdly,  As  Christ's  humble  man  is  content 
in  affronts,  and  not  greedy  of  praise ;  so  when 
it  is  presented  to  him,  he  takes  no  contentment  in 
it :  and  if  it  be  easy  to  want  praise  when  it  is 
denied,  yet  it  is  harder  not  to  be  delighted  with  it 
when  it  is  offered.  But  there  is  much  reason  that 
we  should  put  restraints  upon  ourselves,  lest,  if  we 
oe  praised  without  desert,  we  find  a  greater  judg- 
ment of  God  ; '  or  if  we  have  done  well,  and  re- 
ceived praise  for  it,  we  lose  all  our  reward,  which 
God  halh  deposited  for  them  that  '  receive  not 
their  good  things  in  this  life.'  For  '  as  silver  is 
tried  in  the  melter,  and  gohl  in  the  crucible,  so  is 
a  man  tried  in  the  mouth  of  him  that  praises  him  ;' 
that  is,  he  is  either  clarified  from  his  dross,  by  look- 
ing upon  the  praise  as  a  homily  to  teach  and  an 
instruuient  to  invite  his  duty  ;  or  else,  if  he  be 
jilicuiiy  pure,  lut  is  consoliihittd,  htrenglhened  in 
llic  sobriety  oi  his  sjjirit,  and  retires  himself  closer 
into  the  strengths  and  securities  of  humility.  Nay, 
this  step  of  humility  uses,  in  very  holy  j)ersons,  to 
be  enlarged  to  a  delight  in  affronts  and  disreputa- 
tion in  the  world.  "  Now  I  begin  to  be  Christ's 
di!5ci[)le,"  said  Ignatius  the  martyr,  when  in  his 
journey   to   Rome   he   suffered    perj)etual  revilings 

'  Tanla  eniiii  considcratione  trcpidat,  (David,)  ne  aut  de  his 
in  quibus  laudatur,  et  non  sunt,  majus  Dei  judicium  inveniai; 
•ut  dc  his  in  quibus  laudatur,  et  sunt,  competens  pra;niiuni 
perdat.  S.  Greg.—  "  David  trembles,  lest  the  judgment  of  t4od 
should  fall  more  heavily  upon  him  because  of  those  things 
for  which  he  is  falsely  praised,  or  lest  he  should  at  last  lose  the 
fitting  reward  of  those  things  for  which  he  is  rightly  com- 
mended." 

VOL.     II.  37 


226  CONSIDERATIONS    IPOS 

and  abuse.  St.  Paul  'rejoiced  in  liis  infirmities 
and  reproach :'  and  all  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem 
went  from  the  tribunal  '  rejoicing  that  they  were 
esteemed  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  the  name  ot 
Jesus.''  This  is  an  excellent  condition  and  degree 
of  humility.  But  I  choose  to  add  one  that  is  less, 
but  in  all  persons  necessary. 

9.  Fourthly,  Christ's  humble  man  is  careful 
never  to  sjjeak  any  thing  that  may  redound  to  his 
own  praise,  unless  it  be  with  a  design  of  charity 
or  duty,  that  either  God's  glory  or  the  profit  of  his 
neighbour  be  concerned  in  it  ;  but  never  speak- 
ing with  a  design  to  be  esteemed  learned  or  ho- 
nourable. St.  Arsenius  had  been  tutor  to  three 
CsBsars,  Theodosius,  Arcadius,  and  Honorius  ;  but 
afterwards,  when  he  became  religious,  no  word 
escaped  him  that  might  represent  and  tell  of  his 
former  greatness.  And  it  is  observable  concerning 
St.  Jerome,  that  although  he  was  of  noble  extrac- 
tion, yet  in  all  his  own  writings  tfiere  is  not  ll}e 
smallest  intimation  of  it  This  I  desire  to  be  un- 
derstood only  to  the  sense  and  pur|)oses  of  hu- 
mility, and  that  we  iiave  no  designs  of  vanity  and 
fancy  in  speaking  learnedly,  or  recounting  our  ex- 
terior advantages  :  but  if  eitlier  the  [)rofit  of  our 
brother  or  the  glory  of  God,  if  either  there  be  piety 
or  charity  in  the  design,  it  is  lawful  to  publish  all 
those  excellencies  with  which  God  hath  distin- 
guished us  from  others.  Tlie  young  marquis  of 
Castilion  being  to  do  public  exercise  in  his  course 
of  philosophy,  made  it  a  case  of  conscience  whe- 
ther he  were  bound  to  dispute  his  best;  fearing  lest 

'  Acts,  V.  41. 


Christ's  sermon  of  hcmility.  227 

tanity  mij^lit  transport  him  in  the  midst  of  those 
praises  which  his  collejriates  mif^ht  give  him.  It 
was  an  excellent  consideration  in  the  youn<5  gen- 
tleman :  hut  in  actions  civil  and  human,  since  the 
danger  is  not  so  immediate,  and  a  little  compla- 
cency, becoming  the  instrument  of  virtue  and  en- 
couragement of  studies,  may  with  like  care  be 
referred  to  God  as  the  giver,  and  celebrate  his 
])raises,  he  might  with  more  safety  have  done  his 
utmost ;  it  being  in  some  sense  a  duty  to  encou- 
rage others,  to  give  account  of  our  graces  and  our 
labours,  and  all  the  appendant  vanity  may  quiclily 
be  suppressed.  A  good  name  may  give  us  oppor- 
tunity of  persuading  others  to  their  duty,  especially 
in  an  age  in  which  men  choose  their  doctrines  by 
the  men  that  preach  them  :  and  St.  Paul  used 
his  liberty  when  he  was  zealous  for  his  Corin- 
thian disciples,  but  restrained  himself  when  it 
began  to  make  reflections  upon  his  own  spirit. 
But  although  a  good  name  be  necessary,  and 
\n  order  to  such  good  ends  whither  it  may  serve 
it  is  lawful  to  desire  it;  yet  a  great  name,  and  a 
pompous  honour,  and  a  secular  greatness  halh 
more  danger  in  it  to  ourselves  than  ordinarily  it 
ran  iiave  of  benefit  to  others.  And  although  a  man 
may  use  the  greatest  honours  to  the  greatest  purjjoses, 
yet  ordinary  persons  may  not  safely  desire  them  ; 
because  it  will  be  found  very  hard  to  have  such 
mysterious  and  abstracted  considerations,  as  to  se- 
))arate  all  our  proper  interest  from  the  public  end. 
To  which  I  add  this  consideration,  that  the  con- 
tempt of  honour,  and  the  instant  pursuit  of  hunn- 
lily,  is  more  effective  of  the  ghostly  benefit  of 
otiif'rs,  than  honours  and  great  dignities  can  be, 
unless  it  be  rarely  and  very  accidentally. 


i?28  CONSIDEUATIONS    UPON 

10.  If  we  need  any  new  incentives  to  the  prac- 
tice of  this  grace,  I  can  say  no  more,  but  that  liumi- 
lity  is  truth,  and  pride  is  a  lie  ;  tiiat  theone  glorifies 
God,  the  other  dishonours  him ;  humility  makes 
men  like  angels,  pride  makes  angels  to  become 
devils;  that  pride  is  iblly,  humility  is  the  temper 
of  a  holy  spirit  and  excellent  wisdom  ;  that  humi- 
lity is  the  way  to  glory ;  pride,  to  ruin  and  confusion. 
Humility  makes  saints  on  earth,  pride  undoes 
them  ;  humility  beatifies  the  saints  in  heaven,  and 
the  elders  throw  their  crowns  at  the  foot  of  the 
throne ;  pride  disgraces  a  man  among  all  the  so- 
cieties on  earth  :  God  loves  one,  and  Satan  solicits 
the  cause  of  the  other,  and  |)romotes  his  own  inter- 
est in  it  most  of  all.  And  there  is  no  one  grace  in 
which  Christ  propounded  himself  imitable  so  sig- 
nally as  in  this  of  meekness  and  humility;  for  the 
enforcing  of  which  he  undertook  tiie  condition  of  a 
servant,  and  a  life  of  poverty,  and  a  death  of  dis- 
grace ;  and  washed  the  feet  of  his  disciples,  and  even 
of  Judas  himself,  that  his  action  might  be  turned 
into  a  sermon  to  preach  this  duty,  and  to  make  it 
as  eternal  as  his  own  story- 


TJIK  PKAVKR. 

O  holy  and  eternal  Jesus,  who  wert  pleased  to  lay  aside  the 
glories  and  incomprehensible  majesty  which  clothed  thy  infinity 
from  before  the  beginning  of  creatures,  and  didst  put  on  a  cloud 
upon  thy  brightness,  and  wert  invested  with  the  impure  and  im- 
perfect broken  robe  of  human  nature,  and  didst  abate  those 
splendours  which  broke  through  the  veil,  commanding  devils  not 
to  publish  thee,  and  men  not  to  proclaim  thy  excellencies,  and 
the  apostles  not  to  reveal  those  glories  of  thine  which  tlicv  di». 


rHRISl's    SERMAS-    ((V    HL'Mllirv.  ?'.?9 

covered  encircling  thee  upon  Mount  Tabor  in  thy  transfiguration; 
and  didst,  by  perpetual  homilies  and  symbolical  mysterious  ac- 
tions, as  with  deep  characters,  engrave  humility  into  the  spirits 
of  thy  disciples  and  the  discipline  of  Christianity  ;  teach  us  to 
approach  near  to  these  thy  glories,  which  thou  hast  so  covered 
with  a  cloud  that  we  might  without  amazement  behold  thy  ex- 
cellencies ;  make  us  to  imitate  thy  gracious  condescensions  ;  take 
from  us  all  vanity  and  fantastic  complacencies  in  our  own  per- 
sons or  actions;  and  when  there  arises  a  reputation  consequent  to 
the  performance  of  any  part  of  our  duty,  make  u-s  to  reflect 
the  glory  upon  thee,  suffering  nothing  to  adhere  to  our  own  spirits 
i)ut  shame  at  our  own  imperfection,  and  thankfulness  to  thee  for 
all  thy  assistances.  I^et  us  never  seek  the  praise  of  men  from 
unhandsome  actions,  from  flatteries  and  unworthy  discourses; 
nor  entertain  the  praise  with  delight,  though  it  proceed  from 
better  principles :  but  fear  and  tremble,  lest  we  deserve  punish- 
ment, or  lose  a  reward  which  thou  hast  leposited  for  all  them 
tliat  sack  thy  glory  and  despise  their  own,  ihat  they  may  imitate 
the  example  of  their  I,ord.  Thou,  O  Lord,  didst  triumph  over 
sin  and  deatli ;  subdue  also  my  proud  understanding  and  my 
prouder  affections,  and  bring  me  under  thy  yoke  ;  that  I  may  do 
thy  work,  and  obey  my  superiors,  and  be  a  servant  of  all  my 
brethren  in  their  necessities,  and  esteem  myself  inferior  to  all 
men  by  a  deep  i.enseof  my  own  unworthiness,  and  in  all  things 
may  obey  thy  laws,  and  conform  to  thy  precedents,  and  enter  into 
thine  inheritance,  O  holy  and  eternal  Jesus.     Amen. 


DISCOURSE  XIX. 

Of  Ihe  Insdfution  and  Reception  of  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

I.  As  the  sun  amoiio^  the  stars,  and  man  anionjij 
tlie  sublunary  creatures,  is  tlie  most  eminent  and 
nol)le,  the  prince  of  the  inferiors,  and  their  measure, 
or  their  oruide;  so    is  tliis    action    among-    all  the 


230  OF    THE    INSTITUTION    ANO 

instances  of  religion  :  it  is  the  most  perfect  and 
consummate;  it  is  an   union  of  mysteries,  and  a 
consolidation  of  duties ;  it  joins  God  and  man,  and 
confederates  all  the  societies  of  men  in  mutual  com- 
plexions,  and   the  entertainments  of  an  excellent 
charily;  it  actually  performs  all  that  could  be  ne- 
cessary for  man,  and  it  presents  to  man  as  great  a 
thing  as  God  could  give  ;  for  it  is   impossible  any 
thing  should   be  greater  than  himself.      And  when 
God  gave  his  Son  to  the  world,  it  could  not  be  but 
he  should  '  give  us  all  things  else.'     And  therefore 
this  hlessed  sacrament  is  a  consigning  us  to  all  fe- 
licities, because,  after  a  mysterious   and  ineffable 
manner,  we  receive  him  who   is  light  and  life,  the 
fountain  of  grace,  and  the  sanctifier  of  our  secular 
comforts,  and  the   author  of  holiness   and   glory. 
But  as  it  was  at  first,  so  it  hath  been  ever  since  ; 
*  Christ  came  into  the  world,  and  the  world   knew 
him  not :'  so  Christ  hath  remained  in  the  world,  by 
the  communication  of  this  sacrament,  and  yet  he  is 
not  rightly  understood,  and  less  truly  valued.     But 
Christ  may  say  to  us,  as  once  to  the  woman  of  Sa- 
maria: •  Woman,  if  thou  didst  know  the  gift  of  God, 
and   who  it  is  that  speaks  to  thee,   thou  wouldst 
ask  him :'  so,  if  we  were  so  wise,  or  so  fortunate  to 
know  the  excellency  of  this  gift  of  the  Lord,  it 
would  fill  us  full  of  wonder  and  adoration,  joy  and 
thankfulness,   great  hopes    and    actual    felicities, 
making  us  heirs  of  glory  by  the  great  additions 
and  present  increment  of  grace. 

2.  'After  supper  Jesus  took  bread  and  blessed 
it,'  and  made  it  to  be  a  heavenly  gift.  He  gave 
them  bread,  and  told  them  it  was  his  body;  that 
body  which  was  broken  for  the  redemption  of  man, 
for  the  salvation  of  the  world.     St   Paul    calls  it 


^    RKCtPTION    OF    THi:    SACRVMENr.  S3 1 

'bread'  even  after  consecration  :  'The  bread  wliich 
we  break,  is  it  not  the  communication  of  the  body  of 
Christ  ?' '  So  that  by  divine  faith  we  are  taught  to 
express  our  belief  of  this  mystery  in  these  words: 
"  llie  bread,  which  is  consecrated  and  made  sacra- 
mental, is  the  body  of  our  Lord;  and  the  fraction 
and  distribution  of  it  is  the  communication  of  that 
body  wliich  died  fv)r  us  upon  the  cross.''  lie  that 
doubts  of  either  of  the  parts  of  this  proposition, 
must  eitlier  think  Christ  was  not  able  to  verify  his 
word,  and  to  make  bread  by  his  benediction  to  be- 
come to  us  his  body  ;  or  that  St.  Paul  did  not  well 
interpret  and  understand  this  mystery,  when  he 
called  it  bread.  Christ  reconciles  them  both,  call- 
injf  himself  'the  bread  of  life:'  and  if  we  be  of- 
♦tended  at  it,  because  it  is  alive,  and  therefore  less 
apt  to  become  food,  we  are  invited  to  it  becans«; 
it  is  bread  ;  and  if  the  sacrament  to  others  seems 
less  mysterious,  because  it  is  bread,  we  are  height- 
ened in  our  faith  and  reverence,  because  it  is  life. 
The  bread  of  the  sacrament  is  the  life  of  our  ioul ; 
and  the  body  of  our  Lord  is  now  conveyed  to  us, 
being  the  bread  of  the  sacrament.  And  if  we  con- 
sider how  easy  it  is  to  faith,  and  how  impossible  it 
seems  to  curiosity,  we  shall  be  taught  confidence 
and  modesty  ;  a  resigning  our  understanding  to 
the  voice  of  Christ  and  his  apostles,  and  yet  ex- 
pressing our  own  articles,  as  Christ  did,  in  indefi- 
nite significations.  And  possibly  it  may  not  well 
consist  with  our  duty,  to  be  inquisitive  into  the  se- 
crets of  the  kingdom,  which  we  see  by  plain  event 
hath  divided  the  church  almost  as  much  as  the 
sacrament  hath    united    it;  and    which    can    only 

'   1  Cor.  X.  IG. 


232  OF     IHT.     I.Ns'ftiri    TiDN    A  M> 

serve  the  purposes  of  the  school  and  of  evil  men,  to 
make  questions  for  that,  and  Mictions  for  these,  but 
not  promote  the  ends  of  a  holy  life,  obedience 
or  charity. 

3.  Some  so  observe  the  literal  sense  of  the  words, 
that  they  understand  them  also  in  a  natural :  some 
so  alter  them  by  metaphors  and  preternatural  sig- 
nifications, that  they  will  not  understand  them  at 
all  in  a  proper.  We  see  it,  we  feel  it,  we  taste  it, 
and  we  smell  it  to  be  bread  ;  and  by  philosophy 
we  are  led  into  a  belief  of  that  substance  whose  ac- 
cidents these  are,  as  we  are  to  believe  that  to  be 
fire  which  biu'ns,  and  flames,  and  shines;  but 
Christ  also  affirmed  concerning  it,  '  this  is  my 
body  ;'  and  if  fuith  can  create  an  assent  as  strong 
as  its  object  is  infallible,  or  can  be  as  certain  in  its 
conclusions  as  sense  is  certain  in  its  apprehensions 
we  must  at  no  hand  doubt  but  it  is  Christ's  body. 
Let  the  sense  of  that  be  what  it  will,  so  that  we 
believe  those  words,  and  (whatsoever  that  sense 
is  which  Christ  intended)  that  we  no  more  doiiht 
in  our  faith  than  we  do  in  our  sense;  then  our 
faith  is  not  reprovable.  It  is  hard  to  do  so  much 
violence  to  our  sense,  as  not  to  think  it  bread  ;  but 
it  is  more  unsafe  to  do  so  much  violence  to  our 
faith,  as  not  to  believe  it  to  be  Christ's  body.  But 
it  would  be  considered,  that  no  interest  of  religion, 
no  saying  of  Christ,  no  reverence  of  opinion,  no  sa- 
credness  of  the  m3'^stery  is  disavowed,  if  we  believe 
both  what  we  hear  and  what  we  see.  He  that  be- 
lieves it  to  be  bread,  and  yet  verily  to  be  Christ's 
body,  is  only  tied  also  by  implication  to  believe 
God's  omnipotence,  that  he  who  affirmed  it  can 
also  verify  it.  And  they  that  are  forward  to  believe 
the  chanjre  of  substance,  can  intend  no  ojore  luit 


RFCEPTION    or     IHt     SACnAMENT.  333 

that  it  be  l^elieved  verily  to  be  the  body  of  oi»r 
Lord.  And  if  they  tliink  it  impossible  to  re- 
concile its  beinsf  bread,  willi  the  verity  of  being' 
Christs  body,  let  them  remember  that  themselves 
are  put  to  more  difticulties,  and  to  admit  of  more 
miracles,  and  to  contradict  more  sciences,  and  to  re- 
fuse the  testimony  of  sense,  in  aflfirminp^  the  special 
manner  of  transubstaiitiation.  And  therefore  it 
were  safer  to  admit  the  words  in  their  first  sense, 
in  which  we  shall  no  more  be  at  war  with  reason, 
nor  so  much  with   sense,  and  not  at  all  with  faith.' 

'  Acceptum  panem  et  distributum  discipulis  corpus  suum 
ilium  fecit,  Hoc  est  corpus  meuin,  dii-endo,  id  est,  figura  corporis 
mei.  Figura  anon  fuisset,  nisi  veritaiis  asset  corpus.  Tert.  lib. 
iv.  cont.  iMarcion.  c.  40.  Quod  si  quicquid  ingreditur  in  os,  in 
ventrem  abit,  et  insecessuin  ejicitur,  et  illecibusqui  sanctiiicatur 
per  verbum  Dei  perque  obsecrationem,  juxia  id  quod  habet  ma- 
ter'alc  in  ventrem  abit,  ctinseccssum  ejicitur,  &c.  et  haecquidem 
de  typico  symboliceque  corpore.  Origen  in  xv.  cap.  S.  iMatt.  T(£ 
ffi'fitioXa  TH  aw^ciTos  tH  cieriroTiKy.  Kj  r«  u'ljiaroi;  fUTii  Tt/y 
tTTiK-XTjitj'  tTrtGaWiTat,  t^  ertpa  yiviToi,  «XX'«k"  utKiiaQ  t^iVa- 
rai  (pvanoQ'  fiivii  yap  nri  rip-  7rpor£()«c  itaiac,  Kf  rH  a\liiia- 
Tor,  Ki  T»  I'l^uc,  t?)  opora  in  ki  utttu,  cla  K)  Trporfooi'  )/r. 
Theod.  Dial.  2.  Idem  disputando  contra  Eutychianos,  docentes 
humatiam  C'hristi  naturam  convcrsum  iri  in  divinam,  codem 
scil.  niodo  quo  panis  in  corpus  C'hristi,  ait,  Certe  eodcm  sciL 
modo,  hoc  est,  nullo.  'O  Ci  Stonyo  h  I'l/iiTipoc,  &c  Our 
blessed  Saviour,  who  hath  called  himself  the  living  ISread,  and  a 
\'ine,  hath  also  honoured  the  visible  signs  with  the  title  and  ap- 
pellation of  his  body  and  blood,  not  changing  their  nature,  but 
adding  to  nature  gr.ue. — Sec  the  Dialog,  called  ''  The  Ininiov- 
•ible."  Sacramen;a  qua;  suminius  corporis  et  sanguinis  Christi, 
divina  res  est.  Propter  quod  pereadem  divin;e  efHcinuir  consor- 
tes  natura:,  et  tamcn  non  dcsinit  esse  substantia  vel  natura  panis 
PI  vini :  el  certe  imago  et  siniilitudo  corjxiris  et  sanguinis  Chriati 
ill  actione  mysterioruiii  celebrantur.  F.  Oelasius  libr  contra 
Nesiorium  it  Kuiychetem.  Non  quod  proprie  corpus  ejus  sit 
panis,  et  pcculum  sanguis;  sed  quod  mys'.eriuui  corporis  ejus  sr.ii- 
guinisque  contineant.  Facundus.  Sign.  Sacramenta  quan  lam 
similitudinem  non  haberent  earum  rerum  quarum  sunt  sacra- 
menta,  omnino  sacramcnta  nonessenl:  K\  hac  a.  similitudine 
pleruHKiue  ipsaruni  rerum  nomina  accipiunt.  S.  -Aug.  Fpist.  23. 


234  OF    THF.    INSTITUTION    AND 

And  for  persons  of  the  contradictory  persuasion, 
who,  to  avoid  the  natural  sense,  affirm  it  only  to  be 
figuralive,  since  their  design  is  only  to  make  this 
sacrament  to  be  Christ's  body  in  the  sense  of  faith, 
and  not  of  philosophy,  they  may  remember  that  its 
being  really  present  does  not  hinder,  but  that  all 
that  reality  may  be  spiritual  ;  and  if  it  be  Christ's 
body,  so  it  be  not  affirmed  such  in  a  natural  sense 
and  manner  it  is  still  only  the  object  of  faith  and 
spirit:  and  if  it  be  affirmed  only  to  be  spiritual, 
there  is  then  no  danger  to  faith  in  admitting  the 
words  of  Christ's  institution:  'This  is  my  body.' 
I  suppose  it  to  be  a  mistake,  to  think  whatsoever  is 
real  must  be  natural ;  and  it  is  no  less  to  think 
spiritual  to  be  only  figurative :  that  is  too  much, 
and  this  is  too  little.  Philosophy  and  faith  may 
well  be  reconciled  ;  and  whatsoever  objection  can 
invade  this  union,  may  be  cured  by  modesty.  And 
if  we  profess  we  understand  not  the  manner  of  this 

Idem  contra  Faustum  Manich.  lib.  x.  c.  2.  Quod  ab  omnibus 
appellatur  sacrificium,  signum  est  veri  sacrificii,  in  quo  caro 
Christi  post  assumptionem  per  sacramentum  memoriae  celebratur. 
Apud  Gratianum  de  Conseciat.  dist.  ii.  c.  48.  citatur  Augustinus 
in  Libro  Sententiarum  Prosper!  in  haec  verba.  Sicut  ergo  cceles- 
tispanis,  qui  Christi  caro  est,  suo  niodo  vocatur  corpus  Christi, 
cum  revera  sit  sacramentum  corporis  Christi,  illius,  viz.  quod 
visibile,  quod  palpabile,  mortale  in  cruce  positum  est ;  vocaturque 
ipsa  immolatio  carnis  quas  sacerdotis  manibus  fit  Christi  passio, 
mors,  crucifixio,  non  rei  veritate  sed  significante  mysterio :  sic 
sacramentum  fidei  quod  baptisms  intelligitur,  fides  est.  .Sj 
ergo  haec  vasa  sanctificata  ad  privates  usus  transferre  sic  periculo- 
sum  est,  in  quibusnon  est  verum  corpus  Christi,  sed  mysterium  cor- 
poris ejus  continetur ;  quanto  magis  vasa  corporis  nostri,  &.C.  S. 
Chrysost.  Opere  imperf.  in  JMatth.  Idem  in  Epist.  ad  Caes.a- 
rium,  in  Biblioth.  Pp.  Colon.  1618.  Sicut  n.  antequam  sancti- 
licetur  panis,  Panem  nominamus,  divina  autem  ilium  sanctifi- 
cante  gratia,  niediante  sacerdote,  liberatus  quidem  est  ab  appeU 
latione  panis,  dignus  autem  habitus  est  Dominici  corporis  appeU 
Uiioni,  etiamsi  natura  aupis in  eo  permansit,  Ac 


"^Ri.cEPTioN  or   run  .«\crament.  23-5 

mystery,  we  say  no  more  but  that  it  is  a  mystery : 
it"  it  liaci  been  necessary  we  slioiikl  have  construed  it 
into  the  most  latent  sense,  Clirist  himself  would 
have  ^iven  a  clavis,  and  taught  the  cliurch  to  un- 
lock so  f^reat  a  secret.  Christ  said,  '  This  is  my 
body,  this  is  my  blood.'  St.  Paul  said,  '  The  bread 
of  blessintj^  that  we  break  is  the  communication  of 
llie  body  of  Christ,  and  the  chalice  which  we  bless 
is  the  communication  of  the  blood  of  Christ ;'  and, 
'  we  are  all  one  body,  because  we  eat  of  one  bread,' ' 
One  proj)osition  as  well  as  the  other  is  a  matter  of 
faith,  and  the  latter  of  them  is  also  of  sense  ;  one  is 
as  literal  as  the  other,  and  he  that  distinguishes  in 
his  belief,  as  he  may  place  the  impropriety  upon 
what  part  he  please,  and  either  say  it  is  iniproperly 
called  bread,  or  improperly  called  Christ's  body; 
so  he  can  have  nothing  to  secure  his  jiropositiou 
from  error,  or  himself  from  boldness,  in  decreeing 
concerning  mysteries  against  the  testimonies  ot 
sense,  or  beyond  the  modesty  and  simplicity  ot 
Christian  faith.  Let  us  love  and  adore  the  abyss 
of  divine  wisdom  and  goodness,  and  entertain  the 
sacrament  with  just  and  iioly  receptions;  and  then 
we  shall  receive  all  those  fruits  of  it  which  an  ear- 
nest disputer,  or  a  peremptory  dogmatizer,  whether 
he  happen  riglit  or  wrong,  hatli  no  warrant  to  ex- 
pect upon  the  interest  of  liis  opinion. 

4.  In  the  institution  of  this    sacrament    Christ 
manifested,   first,  his   almigiity    power;  secondly. 


'  1  Cor.  X.  l(>,  17. 

Chrysost.  notat  Aposloluni  non  clixis&e  paneni  esse  /j£r(>\;''/>', 
>ed  (cotvoij'iai'  TK  (Tui/j«rog-  \^)inT^,  ut  indicaret  ila  participari 
corpus  Domini,  ut  fiaiU  ununi  partitipans,  et  res  participuta,  sicut 
Verbum  et  Dei  Caro.  6/:Krix<""')  partem  aliquam  sibj  vendicat, 
0  Kotftvfwr,  tolius  particeps  est. 


23G  OF    THE    INSTITU'IION    AND 

liis  infinite  Avisdoni  ;  and  thirdly,  his  unspeakable 
chanty.  First,  his  power  is  manifest  in  making 
the  symbols  to  be  the  instruments  of  conveying 
himself  to  the  spirit  of  the  receiver.  He  nourishes 
the  soul  with  bread,  and  feeds  the  body  with  a  sa- 
crament: he  makes  the  body  spiritual  by  his  graces 
there  ministered,  and  makes  the  spirit  to  be  united 
to  his  body  by  a  participation  of  the  divine  nature. 
In  the  sacrament  that  body  which  is  reigning  in 
heaven  is  exposed  upon  the  table  of  blessing  ;  and 
his  body  which  was  broken  for  us  is  now  broken 
again,  and  yet  remains  impassible.  Every  con- 
secrated portion  of  bread  and  wine  does  exhibit 
Christ  entirely  to  the  faithful  receiver;  and  yet 
Clirist  remains  one,  while  he  is  wholly  ministered 
in  ten  thousand  portions  So  long  as  we  call  these 
mysterious,  and  make  tliem  intricate  to  exercise 
our  faith,  and  to  represent  the  wonder  of  the  mys- 
tery, and  to  increase  our  charity  ;  our  being  in- 
(juisitive  into  the  abyss  can  have  no  evil  ])urposes. 
God  hath  instituted  the  rite  in  visible  symbols,  to 
make  the  secret  grace  as  j^resential  and  discernible 
as  it  might,  that  by  an  instrument  of  sense  our 
spirits  might  be  accommodated  as  with  an  exterior 
object  to  produce  an  internal  act.  But  it  is  the 
j)rodigy  of  a  miraculous  power,  by  instruments  so 
easy  to  produce  effects  so  glorious.  This  then  is 
the  object  of  wonder  and  adoration. 

6.  Secondly,  And  this  effect  of  power  does  also 
remark  the  divine  wisdom,  who  hath  ordained 
such  symbols,  which  not  only,  like  spittle  and  clay 
toward  the  curing  blind  eyes,  proclaim  an  almighty 
power,  but  they  are  apposite  and  proper  to  signify 
a  duty,  and  become  to  us  like  the  word  of  life;  and 
from  bread  they  turn  into  a  homily  :  for  iherelbre  our 


RECtl'TKlN    0|-    'IIIK    S\<.KA\!rM.  337 

nisej»t  Master  lialli  appointeti  hread  and  wine,  that 
we  may  be  corporeally  miitecl  to  liim;  lliat  as  tlie 
Kymbols  Inconiinpf  nutriment  are  turned  into  the 
substance  of  our  bodies,  so  Clirisl  beinsj;-  the  food  of 
our  souls  should  assimilate  us,  making-  us  partakers 
of  the  divine  nature.  It  also  tells  us,  that  from 
hence  we  derive  life  and  holy  motion  ;  '  for  in  him 
we  live,  and  move,  ami  have  our  being.'  He  is  the 
staft'of  our  life,  and  tht  light  of  our  eyes,  and  ihc 
strength  of  our  spirit;  he  is  the  viand  for  our  journey, 
and  the  antepast  of  heaven.  And  because  this 
holy  mystery  was  intended  to  be  a  sacrament  of 
union,  that  lesson  is  morally  represented  in  the 
symbols;  that  as  the  salutary  juice  is  expressed 
from  many  clusters  running  into  one  chalice,  and 
the  bread  is  a  mass  made  of  many  grains  of  w  heat, 
so  we  also  (as  tlie  apostle  infers  from  hence,  him- 
self observing  the  analogy,)  should  '  be  one  bread 
and  one  body,  because  we  partake  of  that  one 
hreail.'  And  it  were  to  be  wished  that  from  hercti 
also  all  Christians  would  understand  a  signification 
of  ano'.her  duty,  and  that  they  would  often  commu- 
nicate, as  remembering  that  the  soul  may  need  a 
frequent  ministration  as  well  as  the  body  its  daily 
proj)()rtion.  This  consideration  oi'  the  divine  wis- 
dom is  apt  to  produce  reverence,  humility,  and 
submission  of  our  understanding  to  the  immensity 
of  God's  unsearchable  abysses. 

6.  Thirdly,  But  the  story  of  the  love  of  our  dear- 
est Lord  is  written  in  largest  characters,  who  not 
only  was  at  that  instant  busy  in  doing  man  the 
greatest  good,  even  then  when  man  was  contriving 
Ids  dentil  and  his  disiionour,  but  contrived  to  repre- 
sent his  bitter  passion  to  us  without  any  circum- 
stances of  horror,  in  symbols  of  pleasure   and  de- 


238  Of    THK    INSTITtTION    AND 

light ;  tliat  '  we  may  taste  anrl  see  how  gracious 
our  Lord  is,'  who  would  not  transmit  the  record  of 
his  passion  to  us  in  any  thing  that  might  troui)le  us. 
No  love  can  be  greater  than  that  which  is  so  bea- 
tifical as  to  bestow  the  greatest  good  ;  and  no  love 
can  be  better  expressed  than  that  which,  although 
it  is  productiveof'the  greatest  blessings,  yet  is  curious 
also  to  observe  the  smallest  circumstances.  And  not 
only  both  these,  but  many  other  circumstances  and 
arguments  of  love  concur  in  the  holy  sacrament. 

1.  It  is  a  tenderness  of  affection  that  ministers 
wholesome  physic  with  arts  and  instruments  of 
pleasure.  And  such  was  the  charity  of  our  Lord, 
wl)o  brinsjs  health  to  us  in  a  golden  chalice;  life, 
not  in  the  bitter  drugs  of  Egypt,  but  in  sj)irits  and 
quintessences  ;  giving  us  apples  of  paradise,  at  the 
same  time  yielding  food,  and  health,  and  pleasure. 

2.  Love  desires  to  do  all  good  to  its  beloved  ol:)ject; 
and  that  is  the  greatest  love  which  gives  us  the 
greatest  blessings.  And  the  sacrament  therefore  is 
tlie  argument  of  his  greatest  love;  for  in  it  we  re- 
ceive the  honey  and  the  honey-comb,  the  paschal 
lamb  with  his  bitter  herbs,  Clirist  with  all  his 
griefs,  and  his  passion  with  all  the  salutary 
effects  of  it.  3.  Love  desires  to  be  remembered, 
and  to  have  his  own  object  in  perpetual  re- 
presentment.  And  this  sacrament  Christ  de- 
signed to  that  purpose,  that  he,  who  is  not  present 
to  our  eyes,  might  always  be  present  to  our  spirits. 
4.  Love  demands  love  again,  and  to  desire  to  be 
lieloved  is  of  itself  a  great  argument  of  love.  And 
as  God  cannot  give  us  a  greater  blessing  than  his 
love,  which  is  himself  with  an  excellency  of  rela- 
tion to  us  superaddeil  ;  so  vvliat  greater  demonstra- 
tion of  it  can    he  make  to  us,  than  to  desire  us  to 


RECEPTION    OF    THE    SACRAMENT.  239 

love  him  with  as  much  earnestness  and  vehemency 
of  desire,  as  if  we  we  were  that  to  liim  which  he  is 
essentially  to  us,  the  author  of  our  being  and  our 
blessinjT  ?  5.  And  yet  to  consummate  this  love, 
and  represent  it  to  he  the  ureatest  and  most  excel- 
lent, the  lioly  Jesus  hatli  in  this  sacrament  desig'ned 
that  we  should  be  united  in  our  spirits  with  him, 
incorporated  to  his  body,  partake  of  his  divine 
nature,  and  communicate  in  all  his  graces:  and 
love  hath  no  expression  beyond  this,  that  it  desires 
to  be  united  unto  its  object.  So  tliat  what  Moses 
said  to  the  men  of  Israel,  '  What  nation  is  so  great, 
who  hath  God  so  nigh  unto  them,  as  the  Lord  our 
God  is  in  all  things  for  which  we  call  upon  him  ? 
we  can  enlarge  in  the  meditation  of  this  holv  sa- 
erameiit :  for  now  tlie  Lord  our  God  calls  upon  us, 
not  only  to  be  nigh  unto  him,  but  to  lie  all  one 
with  him  ;  not  only  as  he  was  in  the  incarnation, 
flesh  of  our  flesh  and  bone  of  our  bone,  but  also  to 
communicate  in  spirit,  in  grace,  in  nature,  in  divi- 
nity itself. 

7.  Upon  the  strength  of  the  premises  we  may 
sooner  take  an  estimate  of  the  graces  which  are 
conveyed  to  us  in  the  reception  and  celebration  of 
this  holy  sacrament  and  sacrifice.  For  as  it  is  a 
commemoration  and  represenlment  of  Christ's 
«lealh,  so  it  is  a  commemorative  sacrifice  ;  as  we 
receive  the  symbols  and  the  mystery,  so  it  is  a 
sacrament.  In  both  capacities  the  benefit  is  next 
to  infinite.  First,  for  whatsoever  Christ  did  at  the 
institution,  the  same  he  commanded  the  church  to 
<lo  in  remembrance  and  repeated  rites  ;  and  him 
self  also  does  tiie  same  thing  in  heaven  for  us, 
making  perpetual  intercession  for  his  church,  the 
body  of  his  redeemed  ones,  by  representing  to  his 


240  OF     llli;    INSriTL'TION    .AN1> 

Father  his  death  and  sacrifice  :  there  he  sits  a  high- 
priest  continually,  and  offers  still  the  same  one 
perfect  sacrifice;  that  is,  still  represents  it  as  having 
been  once  finished  and  consummate  in  order  to 
perpetual  and  never-failing  events.  And  this  also 
his  ministers  do  on  earth  ;  they  offer  up  the  same 
sacrifice  to  God,  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross,  by  pray- 
ers, and  a  commemorating  rite  and  representment 
according-  to  his  holy  institution.  And  as  all  the 
effects  of  grace  and  the  titles  of  glory  were  pur- 
chased for  us  on  the  cross,  and  the  actual  mysteries 
of  redemption  perfected  on  earth,  but  are  applied 
to  us  and  niatie  effectual  to  single  persons  and 
communities  of  men  by  Christ's  intercession  in 
heaven  :  so  also  they  are  promoted  by  acts,  duty, 
and  religion  here  on  earth,  that  we  may  lie  '  work- 
ers together  with  God,''  (as  St.  Paul  expresses  iJ,) 
and  in  virtue  of  the  eternal  and  all-sufficient  sacri- 
fice may  offer  up  our  prayers  and  our  duty,  and 
by  representing  that  sacrifice  may  send  up  toge- 
ther with  our  prayers  an  instrument  of  their  gra- 
ciousness  and  acceptation.  The  funerals  of  a  de- 
ceased friend  are  not  only  performed  at  his  first 
interring,  but  in  the  monthly  minds  and  anniver- 
sary commemorations,  and  our  grief  returns  upon 
the  sight  of  a  picture,  or  upon  any  instance  which 
our  dead  friend  desired  us  to  preserve  as  his  me- 
morial :  we  celebrate  and  exhibit  the  Lord's  death 
in  sacrament  and  symbol.  And  this  is  that  great 
express,  which  when  the  church  offers  to  God  the 
Father,  it  obtains  all  those  blessings  which  that 
sacrifice  purchased.  Themistocles  snatched  uj)  the 
son  of  king  Admetus,  and  held  him  between   him- 

'  2  Tor.  vi.  1. 


Rt:rEf'ri<iN   OF   riiK  sackamlnt.  ill 

selfaDtl  death,  to  mitigate  the  rage  of  tVie  kinsj;-, 
and  prevailed  accordingly.  Our  very  holdin;^  u|> 
the  Son  of  God,  and  representing  him  to  his  Fa- 
ther, is  the  doing  an  act  of  mediation  and  advan- 
tage to  ourselves  in  the  virtue  and  efficacy  of  the 
Mediator.  As  Christ  is  a  priest  in  heaven  for  ever,- 
and  yet  does  not  sacrifice  himself  afresh,  nor 
yet  without  a  sacrifice  could  he  he  a  priest,  hut 
hy  a  daily  ministration  and  intercession  repre- 
sents his  sacrifice  to  God,  and  offers  himself  as 
sacrificed;  so  he  does  upon  earth  by  the  ministry 
of  his  servants  ;  he  is  offered  to  God  ;  that  is,  he  is 
by  prayere  and  the  sacraments  represented  or 
'  offered  up  to  God  as  sacrificed  ;'  which,  in  effect, 
is  a  celebration  of  his  death,  and  the  applying  it  to 
the  present  and  future  necessities  of  the  church,  as 
we  are  capable,  by  a  ministry  like  to  his  in  heaven. 
Jt  follows  then,  that  the  celebration  of  this  sacri- 
fice be  in  its  proportion  an  instrument  of  applying 
the  proper  sacrifice  to  all  the  purposes  which  it 
first  designed.'  It  is  ministerially  and  by  applica- 
tion an  instrument  propitiatory,  it  is  encharistical, 
it  is  an  homage,  and  an  act  of  adoration,  and  it  is 
impetratory,  and  obtains  for  us  and  for  the  whole 
church  all  the  benefits  of  the  sacrifice,  which  is 
now  celebrated  and  applied  :  tliat  is,  as  this  rite  is 
the  remembrance  and  ministerial  celebration  of 
Christ's  sacrifice,  so  it  is  destined  to  do  honour  to 
God,  to  express  the   homage  and  duty  of  his  ser- 

'  Istc  ealix  benedictione  solenni  sacratus,  ad  totius  hominis 
vitam  saluteniqueproficit;  biiniil  nudicanientiim  et  holocanstum, 
ad  sanandas  infirmitates  et  pur^andas  iniquit.ites,  ex'stens.  S. 
Cyp-  de  ca?na  Dom. — "  That  cup,  consecrated  by  the  accuv- 
tomcd  blessing,  avails  to  the  life  and  salvation  of  the  whole  man, 
and  is  at  the  same  time  a  nie<lic!ne  and  a  sacrifice,  both  healing 
diseases  and  purfjiiitj  stii»  "* 


^42  or    THE    INSTITUTION    AND 

vants,  to  acknowledge  his  supreme  dominion,  to 
give  him  thanks  and  worship,  to  hpg  pardo:., 
blessings,  and  supply  of  all  our  needs.  And  its 
profit  is  enlarged  not  only  to  the  persons  celebrat- 
ing, but  to  all  to  whom  they  design  it,  according 
to  the  nature  of  sacrifices  and  prayers,  and  all 
such  solemn  actions  of  religion. 

8.  Secondly,  If  we  consider  this,  not  as  the  act 
and  ministry  of  ecclesiastical  persons,  but  as  the 
duty  of  the  whole  church  communicating,  that  is, 
as  it  is  a  sacrament,  so  it  is  like  the  springs  of 
Eden,  from  whence  issue  many  rivers;  or  the  trees 
of  celestial  Jerusalem,  bearing  various  kinds  of 
fruit.  For  whatsoever  was  oflfered  in  the  sacrifice 
is  given  in  the  sacrament;  and  whatsoever  the  tes- 
tament bequeaths,  the  holy  mysteries  dispense. 
!.  •  He  that  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood, 
abideth  in  me  and  I  in  him  ;''  Christ  in  his  temple 
and  his  resting-place,  and  the  worthy  communi- 
cant in  sanctuary  and  a  place  of  protection  ;  and 
every  holy  soul  having  feasted  at  his  table  may 
say,  as  St.  Paul,  '  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me.'*  So  that  'to  live  is  Christ:'* 
*  Christ  is  our  life,'*  and  he  dwells  in  the  body 
and  the  spirit  of  every  one  that  eats  Christ's  flesli 
and  drinks  his  blood.  Happy  is  that  man  that  sits 
at  the  table  of  angels,  that  puts  his  hand  into  the 
dish  with  the  King  of  all  the  creatures,  and  feeds 
upon  the  eternal  Son  of  God  ;  joining  things  below 
with  things  above,  heaven  with  earth,  life  with 
death,  that  mortality  might  be  swallowed  up  of 
life,  and  sin  be  destroyed  by  the  inhabitation  of  its 
greatest  conqueror.     And  now  I  need  not  enume- 

'  John,  vi.  66.  «  GaL  ii.  20. 

'  Phil.i.  21.  ♦  Col.  iii.  iv. 


RECEPTION    OF    THE    SACRAMENT.  2J3 

rate  any  particulars,  since  the  Spirit  of  (jod  hath 
ascertained   us  tliat  Christ  enters  into  our  hearts, 
and  takes  possession,  and  abides  there;  that  we 
are  made  temples  and  celestial  mansions  ;  that  we 
are  all  one  with  our  Judge,and  with  our  Redeemer; 
that  our  Creator  is   bound   unto  his  creature  with 
bonds    of    charity    which     nothing    can    dissolve, 
unless  our  own   hands  break   them  ;  that  man  is 
united  with  God,  and  our  weakness  is  fortified  by  his 
strength,    and    our   miseries    wrapped    up    in    the 
golden  leaves  of  glory.     2.  Hence  it  follows  that 
the  sacrament  is  an  instrument  of  reconciling  us  to 
God,  and  taking  off  the  remanent  guilt,  and  stain, 
and  obligations  of  our  sins.     '  This  is  the   blood 
that  was  shed   for  you   for  the  remission  of  sins. 
For  there  is  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus.'    And  such  are  all  they  who  w  orthiiy 
eat  the  flesh   of  Christ :    by    receiving   him,  they 
more  and  more  receive  remission  of  sins,  redemp- 
tion, sanctification,  wisdom,  and  certain  hopes  of 
glory.     For  as  the  soul,  touching  and  united  to  the 
flesh  of  Adam,  contracts  the  stain  of  original  mi- 
sery and  imperfection  ;  so  much   the   rather  shall 
the  soul  united  to  the  flesh  of  Christ  receive  pardon 
and  puritj',  and  all  those  blessed  emanations  from 
our  union  with  the  second  Adam.     But  this  is  not 
to  be  understood,  as  if  the  first  beginnings  of  our 
pardon  were  in  the   holy  communion ;  for  then  a 
man   might  come  with  his  impurities  along  with 
him,  and  lay  them   on  the  holy  table,  to  stain  and 
|)<)llute  so  bright  a  presence.    No;   first  repentance 
must  '  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord  :'  and  in  tliis 
holy  rite  those  words  of  our  Lord  are  verified  :  '  He 
that  is  justifie^l  let  him  be  justified  still  ;'  that  is. 
Ill-re  he  may  receive  the  increase  of  grace  ;  and  aa 


244  OF    THK    lN<;TtTUriO\    AND 

it  grows,   so  sin   dies,  and    we  are   reconciled   by 
nearer  unions  and  approximations  to  God. 

9.  Thirdly,  The  holy  sacrament  is  the  pledf^e  ot 
glory,  and  the  earnest  of  immortality.  For  when 
we  have  received  him  who  hath  '  overcome  death, 
and  henceforth  dies  no  more,'  he  becomes  to  us 
like  the  tree  of  life  in  paradise:  and  the  conse- 
crated symbols  are  like  the  seeds  of  an  eternal  du- 
ration, springing  up  in  us  to  eternal  life,  nourish- 
ing our  spirits  with  grace,  which  is  but  the  pro- 
logue and  the  infancy  of  glory,  and  differs  from  it 
only  as  a  child  from  a  man.'  But  God  first  raised 
tip  his  Son  to  life,  and  by  giving  him  to  us  hath 
also  consigned  us  to  the  same  state;  for  'our  life 
is  hid  with  Christ  in  God,''  "  When  we  lay  down 
and  cast  aside  the  impurer  robes  of  flesh,  they  are 
then  but  preparing  for  glory :  and  if  by  the  only 
touch  of  Christ,  bodies  were  redintegrate  and 
restored  to  natural  perfections,  how  shall  not  we 
live  for  ever  who  eat  his  flesh  and  drink  his 
blood  ?  "  It  is  the  discourse  of  St.  Cyril  :  What- 
soever the  Spirit  can  convey  to  the  body  of  tlie 
church,  we  may  expect  from  this  sacrament  : 
for  as  the  Spirit  is  the  instrument  of  life  and 
action,  so  the  blood  of  Christ  is  the  conveyance 
of  his  Spirit.^  And  let  all  the  mysterious  places 
of  holy  Scripture,  concerning  the  effects  wliich 
Christ  communicated  in  the  blessed  sacrament,  be 

'  'AS'ai'iKTia;;  (papjiuKov.  apud  S.  Inguat.  epist  ad  I'^plies. 
Spes  resurrection  is.  Optat.  iMilevit.  lib.  vi.  Contra  Parmen.  et 
S.  Joan.  vi.  54.  Qui  manducat  carnem  meam,  habet  vitan) 
sternam,  et  resuscitabo  eum  in  novissimo  die. 

-  Colos.  iii.  .3. 

■'  S.  Cyril.  Alex.  lib.  iv.  in  Jo.  c.  xiv.  et  Iren.  lib.  iv.  c. 
34.  Sic  et  corpora  nostra  percipientia  Eucharistidm  jam  non 
«unt  corruptifailia,  speui.  resurref-ionis  babentia. 


REccriioN   tu    t\:v.  sacrament,  24fi 

drawn  toj^etlier  in  one  scheme,  we  cannot  but  ob- 
serve, that  altlioujfh  they  are  so  expressed  as  that 
their  meuninif  may  seem  intricate  and  involved, 
yet  tliey  cannot  be  drawn  to  any  meaning- at  all, 
but  it  is  as  glorious  in  its  sense  as  it  is  mysterious 
in  the  expression  ;  and  the  more  intricate  they  are, 
the  greater  is  their  purpose;  no  words  being  apt  and 
proportionate  to  signify  this  spiritual  secret  and 
excellent  effects  of  the  Spirit.  A  veil  is  drawn  be- 
fore all  these  testimonies,  because  the  people  were 
not  able  to  behold  tlie  glory  which  they  cover  wilh 
tlieir  curtain  :  and  '  Clirist  dwelling  in  us,'  and 
'  giving  us  his  flesh  to  e;it  and  his  blood  to  drink,' 
and  '  the  hiding  oi'  our  life  with  God,'  and  '  the 
communion  ol  the  body  of  Christ,'  and  '  Christ  be- 
ing our  life,' are  such  secret  glories,  that  as  the  fru- 
ition of  them  is  the  portion  of  the  other  world,  so  also 
is  the  full  perception  and  understanding  of  them. 
For  therefore  God  appears  to  us  in  a  cloud,  and 
his  glories  in  a  veil,  that  we,  understanding  more 
of  it  by  its  concealment  than  we  can  by  its  open 
face,  which  is  too  bright  for  our  weak  eyes,  may 
with  more  piety  also  entertain  the  greatness  by 
these  indefinite  and  mysterious  significations,  than 
we  can  by  plain  and  direct  intuitions,  which,  like 
the  sun  in  a  direct  ray,  enlightens  the  object  but 
confounds  the  organ. 

10.  I  should  but  in  olher  words  describe  the 
same  glories,  if  I  should  add,  that  lliis  holy  sacra- 
ment does  enlighten  the  spirit  of  man,  and  clarify 
it  with  spiritual  discernings;  and  as  he  was  to  the 
two  disciples  at  Emmaus,  so  also  to  other  faithful 
j)ei>ple;  '  Christ  is  knoun  in  the  breaking  of  bread:' 
that  it  is  a  great  defence  against  the  hostilities  ol 
our  ghostly  enemies,  this  holy  l)read  being  like  the 


246  OF    THE    INSTITUTION    AND 

cake  of  Gideon's  camp,  overturning  the  tents  of 
Midian  : '  tliat  it  is  the  relief  of  our  sorrows,  the 
antidote  and  preservative  of  souls,  the  viand  of 
our  journey,  the  guard  and  passport  of  our  death, 
the  wine  of  angels;  that  it  is  more  healthful  than 
rhubarb,  more  pleasant  than  cassia;  that  the  bee- 
tle and  lareca  of  the  Indians,  the  moly  or  nepenthe 
of  Pliny,  the  lirinon  of  the  Persians,  the  balsam  of 
Judoea,  the  manna  of  Israel,  the  honey  of  Jona- 
than, are  but  weak  expressions  to  tell  us  that  this 
is  excellent  above  art  and  nature,  and  that  nothing 
is  good  enough  in  philosophy  to  become  its  emblem. 
All  these  must  needs  fall  very  short  of  those  plain 
words  of  Christ,  '  This  is  my  body.'  The  other 
may  become  the  ecstasies  of  piety,  tiie  transporta- 
tion of  joy  and  wonder,  and  are  like  the  discourse 
of  St.  Peter  upon  Mount  Tabor ;  he  was  resolved  to 
say  some  great  thing,  but  he  knew  not  vviiat:  but 
when  we  remember  that  the  body  of  our  Lord  and 
his  blood  is  communicated  to  us  in  the  bread  and 
chalice  of  blessing,  we  must  sit  down  and  rest  our- 
selves;  for  this  is  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  and 
we  can  go  no  further. 

1 1.  In  the  next  place  it  will  concern  our  inquiry 
to  consider  how  we  are  to  prepare  ourselves.  For 
at  the  gate  of  life  a  man  may  meet  with  death ; 
and  although  this  holy  sacrament  be  like  manna, 
in  which  the  obedient  find  the  relishes  of  obedi- 
ence, the  chaste  of  purity,  the  meek  persons  of 
content  and  humility  ;  yet  vicious  and  corrupted 
palates  find  also  the  gust  of  death  and  coloquin- 
tida.     The  Syberites  invited  their  women  to  their 

'  St.  Chrysostom  says,  "  We  leave  that  table  with  the 
Ktrength  of  lions,  breathing  fire,  made  terrible  thereby  to  de- 
mons." 


iu:ci:rTioN   oj    rut  sackament.  247 

sulenu)  sutrifices  :i  full  year  before  llie  sdemnily, 
that  tliey  mip^lit,  by  ])revious  dispositions  and  a 
long  foresiirht,  attend  wit'ii  fjravity  and  fairer  order 
the  celel)ration  of  the  riles.'  And  it  was  a  rea- 
Bonable  answer  of  Pericles,  to  one  that  asked  him 
why  he,  beinjj  a  philosophical  and  severe  person, 
came  to  a  wedding  trimmed  and  adorned  like  u 
paranym,  h  ;  'I  come  adorned  to  an  adorned  per- 
son,"  trimmed  to  a  bridegroom.  And  we  also,  if 
we  come  to  the  marriage  of  the  Son  with  the  soul, 
(which  marriage  is  celebrated  in  this  sacred  mys- 
tery,) and  have  not  on  a  wedding-garment,  shall 
be  cast  into  outer  darkness,  the  portion  of  undress- 
ed and  unprepared  souls. 

12.  For  from  this  sacrament  are  excluded  all 
unbaptized  persons,  and  such  who  lie  in  a  known 
sin,  of  which  they  have  not  purged  themselves  by 
the  apt  and  proper  instruments  of  repentance.  For 
if  the  pasclial  lamb  was  not  to  be  eaten  but  by 
persons  pure  and  clean,  according  to  the  sanctifica- 
tions  of  the  law,  the  Son  of  God  can  less  endure 
the  impurities  of  tiie  spirit,  than  God  could  suffer 
the  uncleannesses  of  the  law.  St.  Paul  hath  given 
us  instruction  in  this  :  '  First  let  a  man  examine 
himself,  and  so  let  him  eat.  For  he  that  eats  and 
drinks  unworthily,  eats  and  drinks  damnation  to 
himself,  not  discerning  tiie  Lord's  l)ody.'*  That 
is,  although  the  church  of  Corinth,  by  reason  of 
the  present  schism,  the  j)ublic  disciplitie  of  the 
church  was  neglected,  and  every  man  permitted  to 
lumself;  yet  even  then  no  man  was  disobliged 
from  his  duty  of  private  repentance,  and  holy  pre- 
parations to  the  perception  of  so  great  a  mystery; 

'    Plutarcli.  Syinpos  »    1  Cor.  xi.  28,  29. 


'48  OF    THL    INSIITUTION    AND 

^*.cit  the  liOrd's  body  may  be  discerned  from  com- 
mon nutriment.  Now  nothing  can  so  unhallow 
and  desecrate  the  rite  as  the  remanent  affection  to 
II  sin,  or  a  crime  unrepented  of.  And  self-exami- 
nation is  prescribed,  not  for  itself,  but  in  order  to 
the  abolition  of  sin  and  death  :  for  itself  is  a  rela- 
tive term  and  an  imperfect  duty,  whose  very  na- 
ture is  in  order  to  something  beyond  it.  And  this 
was  in  the  primitive  church  understood  to  so  much 
severity,  that  if  a  man  had  relapsed  after  one  pub- 
lic repentance  into  a  foul  crime,  he  was  never  again 
readmitted  to  the  holy  communion.  And  the  fa- 
thers of  the  council  of  Eliberis  call  it  "  a  mocking 
and  jesting  at  the  communion  of  our  Lord,  to  give 
it  once  again  after  repentance  and  a  relapse,  and 
a  second  or  third  postulation."'  And  indeed  we 
use  to  make  a  sport  of  the  greatest  instruments  of 
religion,  when  we  come  to  them  after  an  habitual 
vice,  whose  face  we  have,  it  may  be,  wetted  with  a 
tear  and  breathed  upon  it  with  a  sigh,  and  abstain- 
ed from  the  worst  of  crimes  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  come  to  the  sacrament  to  be  purged,  and  to 
take  our  rise  by  going  a  little  back  from  our  sin, 
that  afterwards  we  may  leap  into  it  with  more  vio- 
lence, and  enter  into  its  utmost  angle.  Tliis  is 
dishonouring  the  body  of  our  Lord,  and  deceiving 
ourselves.  Christ  and  Belial  cannot  cohabit.  But 
if  we  have  left  all  our  sins,  and  have  no  fondness 
of  affection  towards  them;  if  we  hate  them,  (which 
then  we  shall  best  known  when  we  leave  them, 
and  with  complacency  entertain  their  contraries,) 
then  Christ  hath  washed  our  feet,  and  then  he  in- 
vites  US  to   his  holy   supper.     Hands  dipped    io 

I  Concil.  Eliber.  c.  3. 


HIXLl'llMN    OF     lUL    SACKAMKM.  249 

blood,  or  polluted  with  uiiluwrul  gains,  or  stained 
with  the  spots  of  flesh,  are  mosl  unfit  to  handle 
the  holy  body  of  our  liOixl,  and  minister  nourish- 
ment to  the  soul.  Christ  loves  not  to  enter  into 
the  mouth  full  of  cursings,  oaths,  blaspiieniies,  re- 
xilings,  or  evil-speukings ;  and  a  heart  full  ol"  vain 
and  vicious  tiioughts  stinks  like  the  lake  of  So- 
dom :  he  finds  no  rest  there;  and  when  he  enters, 
he  is  vexed  wiih  the  unclean  conversation  of  the 
impure  inliabitants,  and  flies  from  thence  with  the 
vvinii^s  of  a  dove,  that  he  may  retire  to  pure  and 
whiter  habitations.  St.  Justin  Martyr,  reckoning 
the  predispositions  required  of  every  faithful  soul 
for  the  entertainment  of  his  Lord,  says,  tliat  "  it 
is  not  lawful  for  any  to  eat  the  eucharist,  but  him 
that  is  washed  in  the  laver  of  regeneration  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  that  believes  Christ's  doctrines  to 
be  true,  and  that  lives  according  to  the  discipline 
of  the  holy  Jesus."'  And  therefore  St.  Ambrose 
refused  to  minister  the  holy  communion  to  the 
emperor  Theodosius,  till  by  public  repentance  he 
had  reconciled  himself  to  God  and  the  society  of 
faithful  people,  after  the  furious  and  choleric  rage 
and  slaughter  committed  at  Thessalonica.  And 
as  this  act  was  like  to  cancellating  and  a  circum- 
vallation  of  the  holy  mysteries,  and  in  that  sense 
and  so  far  was  a  proper  duty  for  a  prelate,  to 
whose  dispensiition  the  rites  are  committed ;  so  it 
was  jui  act  of  duty  to  the  emperor,  of  paternal  and 

'  St.  Basil,  lib.  ii.  dc  Bapf.  c.  3.  S.  Ambros.  lib.  vi.  c.  37. 
in  Luc.  !). 

See  St.  Chrysost.  hom.  ii'A,  in  Matt,  where  he  says,  "  That  if 
either  a  general,  a  nobleman,  or  even  a  king  should  unworthily 
approach  the  Lord's  table,  he  must  be  rebuked  and  sent  away ; 
and  that  he  would  rather  suffer  death  than  treat  unworthily  the 
Lord's  boflv." 


y50  OF    THL;    lN!»TITiriiO.\    ANW 

tender  care;  not  of  proper  authority  or  jurisdic- 
tion, which  he  could  not  have  over  his  prince,  but 
yet  had  a  care  and  the  supravision  of  a  teacher 
over  him ;  whose  soul  St.  Ambrose  had  betrayed, 
unless  he  had  represented  his  disposition  to  com- 
municate in  expressions  of  magisterial  or  doctoral 
authority  and  truth.  For  this  holy  sacrament  is  a 
nourishment  of  spiritual  life,  and  therefore  cannot 
Avith  effect  be  administered  to  them  who  are  in 
the  state  of  spiritual  death ;  it  is  giving  a  cordial  to 
a  dead  man :  and  although  the  outward  rite  be 
ministered,  yet  the  grace  of  the  sacrament  is  not 
'•ommunicated  ;  and  therefore  it  were  well  that 
they  also  abstained  from  the  rite  itself.  For  a  fly 
can  boast  of  as  much  privilege  as  a  wicked  person 
can  receive  from  this  holy  feast;  and  oftentimes 
pays  his  life  for  his  access  to  forbidden  delicacies, 
as  certiiinly  as  they. 

13.  It  is  more  generally  thouglit  by  the  doctors 
of  the  church,  that  our  blessed  Lord  administered 
the  sacrament  to  Judas,  although  he  knew  he  sold 
hira  to  the  Jews :  some  others  deny  it,  and  sup- 
pose Judas  departed  presently  after  the  sop  given 
him,  before  he  communicated.'  However  it  was. 
(Christ,  who  was  Lord  of  the  sacraments,  might 
dispense  it  as  he  pleased  :  but  we  must  mi- 
nister and  receive  it  according  to  the  rules  be 
hath  since  described.  But  it  becomes  a  prece- 
dent to  the  church  in  all  succeeding  ages;  al- 
though it  might  also  have  something  in  it  extra- 
ordinary and  apter  to  the  first  institution  :  for  be- 
cause the  fact  of  Judas  was  secret,  not  yet  made 

'  Negaturii  Clemente  Rom.  5.  Const,  c.  Ifi.  ab  Hilario,  c.  30, 
in  Matt,  ab  Innocentio.  lib,  iii.  <\e  Ulyster.  c.  1.3,  a  Rupcrto, 
Hildebrand.  ('v,'noin,m.  ot  pauci^  aliis. 


RECEPTION    OF    Mil;    SACRAMENT.  2fl| 

notorious,  Christ  those  ralher  to  admit  him  into 
the  rites  of  external  communion,  than  to  separate 
him  with  an  open  shame  for  a  fault  not  yet  made 
open :  for  our  blessed  Lord  did  not  reveal  the  man 
and  his  crime  till  the  very  time  of  ministration,  if 
Judas  did  communicate.  But  if  Judas  did  not  com- 
municate, and  tliat  our  blessed  Lord  gave  him  the 
sop  at  the  paschal  supper,  or  at  the  interval  be- 
tween it  and  the  institution  of  its  own,  it  is  certain 
that  Judas  went  out  as  soon  as  he  was  discovered, 
and  left  this  part  of  discipline  upon  record: — that 
when  a  crime  is  made  public  and  notorious,  the 
j(overnors  of  tiie  church,  accord in<;  to  tlicir  power, 
are  to  deny  to  give  the  blessed  sacrament,  till  by 
repentance  such  persons  be  restored.  In  private 
tjins,  or  sins  not  known  by  solemnities  of  law,  or 
evidence  of  fact,  good  and  bad  are  entertained  in 
public  communion  :  and  it  is  not  to  be  accounted 
a  crime  in  tiiem  that  minister  it,  because  they  can- 
not avoid  it,  or  have  not  competent  authority  to  se- 
parate persons  whom  the  public  act  of  the  church 
hatli  not  separated.'  But  if  once  a  public  separa- 
tion be  made,  or  that  the  fact  is  notorious  and  the 
sentence  of  law  is  in  such  cases  already  declared, 
they  that  come,  and  he  that  rejects  them  not,  both 
pollute  the  blood  of  the  everlasting-  covenant.  And 
liere  it  is  applicable  what  God  sjjake  by  the  pro- 
phet, '  if  thou  wilt  separate  the  precious  thing  from 
the  vile,  ihou  shalt  be  as  my  mouti).'" 

'  Nee  a  communione  prohibere  quenquam  possumus,  nisi  aut 
sponte  confessum,  aut  in  aliquo  sive  seculari  sive  ecclesiastico 
judicio  nominatum  atque  convictuin.  S.  Aug.  lib  v.  Homil. 
horn.  60.  S.  Thomas,  iii.  p.  q.  81.  a.  2.—  "  We  cannot  prohibit 
any  one  from  the  communion,  unless  he  have  voluntarily  con- 
fused some  sin,  or  have  been  convicted  thereof  by  a  secular  or  ee- 
clesiaKtical  judgment." 

<  .Ter.  XV.  19. 


2&i  OF    lUE    JNSilTLTION    AND 

But  tliis  is  vvliolly  a  matter  of  discipline,  arbi- 
trary, and  in  the  power  of  tlie  church  ;  nothing  in 
it  of  divine  commandment,  but  u  hat  belongs  to  the 
communicants  themselves  :  for  St.  Paul  reproves 
them  that  receive  disorderly,  but  gives  no  orders  to 
the  Corinthian  presbyters  to  reject  any  that  present 
themselves.  Neither  did  our  blessed  Lord  leave  any 
commandment  concerning  it,  or  hath  the  holy 
Scripture  given  rules  or  measures  concerning  its 
actual  reduction  to  practice  ;  neither  who  are  to  be 
separated,  nor  for  what  offences,  nor  by  what  au- 
thority,nor  who  is  to  be  the  judge.  And  indeed  it 
is  a  judgment  that  can  only  belong  to  God,  who 
knows  the  secrets  of  hearts,  the  degrees  of  every  sin, 
the  beginnings  and  portions  of  repentance,  the  sin- 
cerity of  purposes,  by  what  thoughts  and  designs 
men  begin  to  be  accepted,  who  are  hypocrites,  and 
who  are  true  men.  But  when  many  and  commen 
men  come  to  judge,  they  are  angry  upon  trifling 
mistakies  and  weak  disputes:  they  call  that  sin  that 
angers  tlieir  party  or  grieves  their  interest;  they 
turn  charity  into  pride,  and  admonition  into  ty- 
ranny; ihey  set  up  a  tribunal  that  themselves  may 
sit  higher,  not  that  their  brethren  may  walk  more 
securely.  And  then  concerning  sins,  in  most  cases 
they  are  most  incompetent  judges;  they  do  not 
know  all  their  kinds  ;  they  miscal  many  ;  they  are 
ignorant  of  the  ingredient  and  constituent  parts 
and  circumstances ;  they  themselves  make  false 
measures,  and  give  out  according  to  them,  when 
they  please ;  and  when  they  list  not,  they  can 
change  the  balance.  When  the  matter  is  public, 
evident,  and  notorious,  the  man  is  to  be  admonished 
of  his  danger  by  the  minister,  hut  not  by  him  to  be 
forced  from  it:  for  the  power  of  the  minister  of  hoi  v 


RECEPTION    OF    THE    SACRAMENT.  2'*3 

things  is  but  the  power  of  a  preacher  and  a  coun- 
eellor,  of  a  physician  and  a  guide  :  it  hath  in  it  no 
coercion  or  violence,  but  what  is  indulged  to  it  by 
human  laws  and  by  consent,  which  may  vary  as  its 
principle. 

Add  to  this,  that  the  grace  of  God  can  bei^in  the 
work  of  repentance  in  an  instant;  and  in  what  pe- 
riod or  degree  of  repentance  the  holy  communion 
is  to  be  administered,  no  law  of  God  declares  ; 
which  therefore  plainly  allows  it  to  every  period, 
and  leaves  no  difference,  except  where  the  disci- 
pline of  the  church  and  the  authority  of  the  su- 
preme power  doth  intervene  :  for  since  we  do  not 
find  in  Scripture  that  the  apostles  did  drive 
from  the  communion  of  holy  things  even  those 
whom  they  delivered  over  to  Satan  or  other  cen- 
sures, we  are  left  to  consider,  that  in  the  nature  of 
the  thing,  those  who  are  in  the  state  of  weakness 
and  infirmity  have  more  need  of  the  solemn  prayers 
of  the  church,  and  therefore,  by  presenting  them- 
selves to  the  holy  sacrament,  approach  towards  that 
ministry  which  is  the  most  effectual  cure;  espe- 
cially since  the  very  presenting  themselves  is  an 
act  of  religion,  and  therefore  supposes  an  act  of  re- 
pentance and  faith,  and  other  little  introductions 
to  its  fair  reception.  And  if  they  may  be  prayed 
for  and  prayed  with,  why  they  may  not  also  be 
communicated,  which  is  the  solemnity  of  the 
greatest  prayer,  is  not  yet  clearly  revealed. 

This  discourse  relates  only  to  private  ministry  : 
for  when  I  affir  n  that  there  is  no  command  from 
Christ,  to  all  his  ministers  to  refuse  u  horn  they  are 
pleased  to  call  scandalous,  or  sinners,  I  intend  to 
defend  good  people  from  the  tyranny  and  arbitrary 
power  of  those  great  companies  of  ministers,  who 


2fll  OF    THi:    INsriTtTlON    AM) 

in  so  many  luindred  places  would  liave  a  judica- 
ture supreme  in  spirituals,  which  would  be  more 
intolerable  than  if  they  had  in  one  province  tvvenly 
thousand  judges  of  life  and  death.  But  when  the 
power  of  separation  and  interdiction  is  only  insome 
more  eminent  anil  authorized  persons,  who  take 
public  cognizance  of  causes  by  solemnities  of  law, 
and  exercise  their  power  but  in  some  rare  instances, 
and  then  also  for  the  public  interest,  in  which, 
although  they  may  be  deceived,  yet  they  are  the 
most  competent  and  likely  judges;  much  of  the 
inconvenience,  which  might  otherwise  follow,  is 
avoided.  And  then  it  only  remains  that  they  con- 
sider, in  what  cases  it  can  be  a  competent  and  u 
proper  infliction  upon  sinners,  to  take  from  them 
that  which  is  the  means  and  ministry  of  grace  and 
recovery ;  whether  they  have  any  warrant  from 
Christ,  or  precedent  in  the  apostles'  practice,  and 
how  fur.  As  for  the  forms  and  usages  of  tlie  pri- 
mitive church,  they  were  hugely  different,  sometimes 
for  one  cause,  sometimes  for  another.  Sometimes 
whole  churches  have  been  excommunicated  ;  some- 
times the  criminal  and  all  his  household  for  his 
offence,  as  it  happened  in  the  excommunication  of 
Aiidronicus  and  Thoas,  in  Synesius,  in  the  year 
411.'  Sometimes  they  were  absolved  and  restored 
by  lay-confessors,  sometimes  by  emperors;  as  it 
happened  to  Eusebius  of  Nicomedia,  and  Theognis 
of  Nice,  who  were  absolved  by  Constantine  from 
the  sentence  of  excommunication  inflicted  by  the 
Nicene  fathers  :  and  a  monk  did  excommunicate 
Tlieodosius  the  younger.'  So  that  in  this  there 
can  be  no  ceitainty  to  make  a  measure  and  a  rule. 

'  Synes.  ep.  ^9. 
«  Theod.Hiat.  lib.  v.  36.  Baron,  torn.  5.  A.  D.  425.  Sect.  1& 


RLCtl'!l«»N     Ol      rut    vACRAWLNr.  '265 

The  surest  way,  most  aj^roeaMe  to  the  j)rececleJils 
of  Sciiplure  and  the  analogy  of  the  gospel,  is,  tliat 
'  by  the  word  of  their  proper  ministry'  all  sinners 
should  be  separate  from  the  holy  communion  ;  that 
is,  threatened  by  tiie  words  of  God  with  damnation, 
and  fearful  temporal  dan<i;ers,  if  themselves,  know- 
insf  an  unrepentetl  sin,  and  a  remanent  affection  to 
sin  to  be  uitiiin  lliem,  shall  dare  to  profane  that 
body  and  blood  of  our  Tiord  by  so  impure  an  ad- 
tlress.  The  evil  is  to  themselves  ;  and  if  the  minis- 
ters declare  this  powerfully,  they  are  acquitted. 
Hut  concerning;-  other  jado;ments  or  separations; 
the  supreme  power  can  forbid  all  assembling^,  and 
tlierefore  can  permit  them  to  all,  and  therefore 
can  deny  them  or  grant  them  to  single  persons ; 
and  therefore,  when  he  by  laws  makes  separations 
in  order  to  public  benefit,  they  are  to  be  obeyed. 
But  it  is  not  to  be  endured  that  single  presbyters 
should  upon  vain  pretences  erect  so  high  a  tribunal 
and  tyranny  over  consciences. 

M.  The  duty  of  preparation  that  I  here  discourse 
of,  is  such  a  preparation  as  is  a  disposition  to  life. 
It  is  not  a  matter  of  convenience  or  advantage,  to 
repent  of  our  sins  before  the  communion,  but  it  is 
of  absolute  necessity;  we  perish  if  we  neglect  it; 
for  we  eat  damnation,  and  Satan  enters  into  us, 
not  Christ.  And  this  preparation  is  not  the  act  of 
a  day  or  a  week ;  but  it  is  a  new  state  of  life :  no 
man  that  is  an  habitual  sinner  must  come  to  this 
feast  till  he  hath  wholly  changed  his  course  of  life. 
And  then,  according  as  the  actions  of  infirmity 
have  made  less  or  greater  invasion  upon  his  peace 
and  healtii,  so  are  the  acts  of  repentance  to  be  pn,- 
portioned  ;  in  which  the  greatness  of  the  prevari- 
cations, their  neighbourhood  to  death,  or  their  fre- 


!?5C  or   iHK  iNsriTi  riox  and 

cjiient  repetition, and  the  conduct  of  a  spiritual  man, 
are  to  give  us  counsel  and  determination.  When  a 
ravening-  and  hungry  wolf  is  destitute  of  prey,  he 
eats  the  turf,  and  loads  his  stomach  with  the  glebe 
he  treads  on  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  finds  better  fiXid,  he 
vomits  up  his  first  load.  Our  secular  and  sensual 
affections  are  loads  of  earth  upon  the  conscience; 
and  when  we  approach  to  the  table  of  the  Lord  to 
eat  the  bread  of  the  elect,  and  to  drink  the  wine  ot 
angels,  we  must  reject  such  impure  adhesions;  that 
holy  persons,  being  nourished  with  holy  symbols, 
may  be  sanctified,  and  receive  the  etenial  reward 
of  holiness. 

15  But  as  none  must  come  hither  but  they  that 
are  in  the  state  of  grace,  or  charity,  and  the  love 
of  God  and  theirneighboui's,  and  that  the  abolition 
of  the  state  of  sin  is  the  necessary  preparation,  and 
is  the  action  of  years,  and  was  not  accepted  as  suf- 
ficient till  the  expiration  of  divers  years,  by  the  pri- 
mitive discipline,  and  in  some  cases  not  till  the  ap- 
proach of  death;  so  there  is  another  preparation 
which  is  of  less  necessity,  which  supposes  the 
state  of  grace,  and  that  oil  is  burning  in  our 
lamps ;  but  yet  it  is  a  preparation  of  ornament, 
a  trimming  up  the  soul,  a  dressing  the  spirit  with 
degrees  and  instances  of  piety  and  progresses 
of  perfection.  And  it  consists  in  setting  apart 
some  portion  of  our  time  before  the  communion  ; 
that  it  be  spent  in  prayer,  in  meditations,  in  renew- 
ing tlie  vows  of  holy  obedience,  in  examining  our 
consciences,  in  mortifying  our  lesser  irregularities, 
in  devotions  and  actions  of  precise  religion;  in  acts 
of  faith,  of  hope,  of  charity,  of  zeal,  and  holy  de- 
sires; in  acts  of  eucharist  or  thanksgiving,  of  joy  at 
the  approach  of  so  blessed  opportunity,  and  all  the 


DECEPTION    OF    THF    JJACIIAMKNT.  2.07 

acts  of  virtue  whatsoever,  wliicli  liave  indefinite  re- 
lation to  tliis  and  to  other  mysteries;  but  yet  are 
specially  to  be  exercised  upon  this  occasion,  because 
this  is  the  most  perfect  of  external  rites,  and  the 
most  mysterious  instrument  of  sanctification  and 
perfei  tion.  There  is  no  time  or  dep;ree  to  be  de- 
termined in  this  preparation;  but  they  to  whom 
much  is  forj^iven  will  love  much  :  and  they  who 
undersliiiid  the  excellence  and  holiness  of  the  mys- 
tery, liie  glory  of  the  guest  that  comes  to  inhabit, 
and  the  indecency  of  the  closet  of  their  hearts,  by 
reason  of  the  adherences  of  impurity,  the  infinite 
benef  t  then  designed,  and  the  increase  of  degrees, 
'>y  the  excellence  of  these  previous  acts  of  holiness, 
will  not  be  too  inquisitive  into  the  necessity  of  cir- 
cumstances and  measures  ;  but  do  it  heartily,  and 
devoutly,  and  reverently,  and  as  much  as  they  can , 
ever  esteeming  it  necessary,  that  the  actions  of  so 
great  solemnity  should  by  some  actions  of  piety, 
attending  like  handmaids,  be  distinguished  from 
common  employments,  and  remarked  for  the  prin- 
cipal and  most  solemn  of  religious  actions.  The 
primitive  church  gave  the  holy  sacraments  to  in- 
fants immediately  after  baptism,'  and  by  that  act 
transmitted  this  proposition — that  nothing  was  of 
absolute  necessity,  but  innocency  and  purity  fronj 
sin,  and  a  being  in  the  slate  of  grace.*  Other  ac- 
tions of  religion  are  excellent  additions  to  the  dig- 
nity of  the  person  and  honour  of  the  mystery,  but 
they  were  such  of  which  infants  were  not  capable. 
The  sum  is  this  ;  afier  the  greatest  consociation  of 
religious  duties  for  preparation,  no  man  can  be  suf- 

'  Clem.  Rom.  lib.  viii.  ConstiL.  c.  20;  Concil.  Tolet.  i.  c.  1 1  ; 
8.  Aug.  ep.  2S,   ad  Bonif  et  ep.  107,  et  lib.  iv.  de  Trin.  c.  10. 
«  Gennailius,  lib.  iii.  ile  Kcd.  DogmaC  c.  53. 

VOL.     II.  39 


268  or   11! K  iNsriTi'TioN  and 

ficiently  uorlliy  to  communicate  :  let  us  take  care 
that  we  be  not  unworthy,  by  bring-injj  a  guilt  with 
us,  or  tlie  remanent  affection  to  a  sin. 

Est  gloriosus  sane  convictus  Dei ; 

Sed  illi  qui  invitalur,  non  qui  invisus  est. 

16.  When  the  happy  hour  is  come  in  which  the 
Lord  vouchsafes  to  enter  into  us,  and  dwell  with  us, 
and  be  united  with  his  servants,  we  must  then  do 
the  same  acts  over  again  with  greater  earnestness 
and  intention  ;  confess  the  glories  of  God  and  thy 
own  unworthiness;  praise  his  mercy  with  ecstasy  of 
thanksgiving  and  joy;  make  oblation  of  thyself,  of 
all  thy  faculties  and  capacities;  pray,  and  read, 
and  meditate,  and  worship :  and  that  thou  mayest 
more  opportunely  do  all  this,  rise  early  to  meet  the 
bridegroom,  pray  for  special  assistance,  enter  into 
the  assembly  of  faithful  people  cheerfully,  attend 
there  diligently,  demean  thyself  reverently,  and 
before  any  other  meat  or  drink,  receive  tlie  body  of 
thy  Saviour  with  pure  hands,  with  holy  intention, 
with  a  heart  full  of  joy,  and  faith,  and  hope,  and 
wonder,  and  eucharist.  These  things  I  therefore 
set  down  irregularly  and  without  method,  because 
in  these  actions  no  rule  can  be  given  to  all  persons; 
and  only  such  a  love  and  such  a  religion  in  general 
is  to  be  recommended,  which  will  overrun  the 
banks,  and  not  easily  stand  confined  within  the 
margin  of  rules  and  artificial  prescriptions.  Love 
and  religion  are  boundless;  and  all  acts  of  grace 
relating  to  the  present  mystery  are  fit  and  propor- 
tioned entertainments  of  our  Lord.  This  only  re- 
member, that  we  are  by  the  mystery  of  one  bread 
confederated  into  one  body,  and  the  communion  of 
saints ;  and  that  the  sacrifice  which  we  then  com- 


nrcr. I'lKiN   (»r    iiii:   sacimmini'.  2-V.) 

V 

memonite  \mis  designed  by  our  lionl  for  llic  benefit 
ofiill  his  church  :  lot  us  bo  sure  to  diinv  all  failhlul 
jieople  into  the  society  of  the  present  blessin;;,  join- 
inp^  with  the  holy  man  that  ministers  in  prayers 
and  offerinsfs  of  that  mystery  for  tlie  benefit  of  all 
sorts  of  men  of  Christ's  catholic  church  :  and  it 
were  also  an  excellent  act  o(  Christian  comnuuiicii, 
and  agreeable  to  the  practice  of  the  church  in  ail 
ai^es,  to  make  an  oblation  to  (iod  lur  the  poor; 
that  as  we  are  (ed  by  Christ's  body,  so  we  also 
should  feed  Christ's  body,  makinj^  such  returns  as 
we  can — a  grain  of  frankincense  in  e.\clKin<^e  for  a 
province,  an  act  of  duly  and  Christian  charity  as 
eucharistical  for  the  present  i^race,  that  all  the 
body  may  rejoice  and  glory  in  tli;:  salvation  of  the 
Lord. 

)7.  After  thou  hast  received  that  pledge  of  im- 
mortality and  antepast  of  glory,  even  the  Lord's 
body  in  a  mystery,  leave  not  thy  Saviour  there 
alone,  but  attend  him  with  holy  thoughts  and  col- 
loquies of  prayer  and  eucharist.  It  was  sometime 
counted  infamous  for  a  woman  to  entertain  a  se- 
cond love,  till  the  body  of  her  deatl  husband  was 
dissolved  into  ashes,  and  disa|ipeared  in  the  form 
of  a  body  :  and  it  were  well,  that  so  long  as  the 
consecrated  symbols  remain  within  us,  according  lo 
common  estiniate,  we  should  keep  the  flame  biiLiht, 
and  the  perfume  of  an  actual  devotion  burning,  that 
our  communion  be  not  a  transient  act,  but  a  perma- 
nent and  lasting  intercourse  with  ourLortI  :  but  in 
this  every  man  best  knows  his  own  opportunities 
and  necessities  of  diversion.  I  only  commend  earn- 
estly to  practice,  that  every  receiver  should  make  a 
recollection  ol"  himself,  and  the  actions  of  tlie  day; 
that  he  improve  it  to  the  best  advantage;  that  lie 


J60  OF    THE    INSTiri  TION    AND 

show  unto  our  Lord  all  the  defects  of  his  house,  ali 
his  poverty  and  weaknesses :  and  this  let  every 
man  do  by  such  actions  and  devotions  which  he 
can  best  attend,  and  himself,  by  the  advice  of 
a  spiritual  man,  finds  of  best  advantage.  1  would 
not  make  the  practice  of  religion,  especially  in 
8uch  irregular  instances,  to  be  an  art,  or  a  burden, 
or  a  snare  to  scrupulous  persons.  What  St.  Paul 
said  in  the  case  of  charity,  I  say  also  in  this  :  '  He 
that  sows  plentifully  shall  reap  plentifully;  and  he 
that  sows  sparingly  shall  gather  at  the  same  rate  : 
let  every  man  do  as  himself  purposeth  in  his  heart ' 
Only  it  were  well  in  this  sacrament  of  love  we  had 
some  correspondency,  and  proportionable  returns 
of  charity  and  religious  affections. 

18.  Some  religious  persons  have  moved  a  ques- 
tion, whether  it  were  better  to  communicate  often 
or  seldom  :  some  thinking  it  more  reverence  to 
those  holy  mysteries  to  come  but  seldom ;  while 
others  say,  it  is  greater  religion  or  charity  to  come 
frequently:  but  I  suppose  this  question  does  not 
differ  much  from  a  dispute,  whether  is  better  to 
pray  often,  or  to  pray  seldom.  For  whatsoever  is 
commonly  pretended  against  a  frequent  commu- 
nion, may  in  its  proportion  object  against  a  solemn 
prayer;  remanent  affection  to  a  sin,  enmity  with 
neighbours,  secular  avocations  to  the  height  of  care 
and  trouble;  for  these  either  are  great  undecencies 
in  order  to  a  holy  prayer,  or  else  are  direct  irregu- 
larities, and  unhallovv  the  prayer  :  and  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  holy  sacrament  is  in  itself  and  its  own 
Ibrmality  a  sacred,  solemn,  and  ritual  prayer,  in 
which  we  invocate  God  by  the  merits  of  Christ, 
expressing  that  adjuration  not  only  in  words,  but 
ni  actual  representment  and  commemoration  of  his 


^  HFcrPTMN    OK    THL    <VtROIFM  2«l 

passion  :  and  il"  tlie  necessities  of  the  cliurcli  were 
well  considered,  we  should  find,  lliat  a  daily  sacri- 
fice of  prayer  and  a  daily  prayer  of  sacrifice  were 
no  more  hut  what  her  condition  requires:  and  I 
would  to  God  the  governors  of  churches  would 
lake  care,  that  the  necessities  of  kings  and  king- 
doms, of  churches  and  states,  were  represented  to 
(iod  by  the  most  solemn  and  efficacious  interces- 
sions ;  and  Christ  hath  taught  us  none  greater  than 
the  praying  in  the  virtue  and  celebration  of  his  sa- 
crifice. And  this  is  the  counsel  that  the  church 
received  from  Ignatius:  "Hasten  frequently  to  ap- 
proach the  eucharist,  the  glory  of  God  :  for  when 
this  is  daily  celebrated,  we  break  the  powers  of 
Satan,  who  turns  all  his  actions  into  hostilities  and 
darts  of  fire.'"  But  this  concerns  the  mnisters  of  re- 
ligion, who  living  in  communities  and  colleges, 
must  make  religion  the  business  of  their  lives,  and 
support  kingdoms,  and  serve  the  interest  of  king* 
by  the  prayer  of  a  daily  sacrifice.  And  yet  in  this 
ministry  the  clergy  may  serve  their  own  necessary 
affairs,  if  the  ministration  be  divided  into  courses, 
as  it  was  by  the  economy  and  wisdom  of  Solomon 
for  the  temple. 

19.  But  concerning  the  communion  of  secular 
and  lay  ))ersons,  the  consideration  is  something 
different.  St.  Austin  gave  this  answer  to  it:  "To 
receive  the  sacrament  every  day  I  neither  praise 
nor  reprove :  at  least  let  them  receive  it  every 
Lord's  day."'  And  this  he  spake  to  husbandmen 
and  merchants.  At  the  first  commencement  of 
Christianity,  while  the  fervours  apostolical,  and  the 
calentures  of  infant  Christendom  did  last,  the  whole 

'  Oennadius.  c.  54.  Dc  Keel.  DogmaL 


262  OF  THE  iNSTiii  rioN  and 

assembly  of  faithful  people  comniunicaled  every 
day  ;  and  this  lasted  in  Rome  and  Spain  until  tlie 
time  of  St.  .Jerome :'  concerning  which  diligence 
he  gives  the  same  censure  which  I  now  recited  from 
St.  Austin  ;  for  it  suffered  inconvenience  by  rea- 
f>on  of  a  declining  piety,  and  the  intervening  of  se- 
cular interests.  But  then  it  came  to  once  a  week; 
and  yet  that  was  not  every  where  strictly  observed  : 
but  that  it  be  received  once  every  fortnight,  St. 
Jerome  counsels  very  strongly  to  Eustochium,  a 
holy  virgin:  "Let  the  virgins  confess  their  sins 
twice  every  month,  or  oftener ;  and  being  fortified 
with  the  communion  of  the  Lord's  body,  let  them 
manfully  fight  against  the  devil's  forces  and  at- 
tempts." Awhile  after  it  came  to  once  a  month, 
then  once  a  year;  then  it  fell  from  that  too; 
till  all  the  Christians  in  the  west  were  com- 
manded to  communicate  every  Easter,  by  the  de- 
cree of  a  great  council,  about  five  iiundred  years 
since.*  But  the  church  of  England,  finding  that 
too  little,  hath  commanded  all  her  children  to 
receive  thrice  every  year  at  least,  intending  that 
they  should  come  oftener;  but  of  this  she  demands 
an  account.  For  it  hath  fared  with  this  sacrament 
us  with  other  actions  of  religion,  wliich  have  de- 
scended from  flames  to  still  fires,  from  fires  to 
sparks,  from  sparks  to  embers,  from  embers  to 
smoke,  from  smoke  to  nothing.  And  although  the 
public  declension  of  piety  is  such,  that  in  this  pre- 
sent conjuncture  of  things  it  is  impossible  men 
should  be  reduced  to  a  daily  communion  ;  yet  that 
thej  are  to  (ommunicate  frequently  is  so  a  duty, 
I  hat  as  no  excuse  but  impossibility  can  make  the 

>  Epist.  80,  ad  Lucinum.         '  ConciL  Lau 


^  RECrPTION    OF    Tin:    SACUVMf.NT.  '2Ct^ 

omission  innocent,  so  tlie  loss  nnd  consequent  want 
is  infinite  and  invaluable. 

20.  For  the  holy  communion  beinjj  a  remem- 
brance and  sacramental  repetition  of  Christ's  pas- 
Bion,  and  the  application  of  his  sacrifice  to  us  and 
the  whole  catholic  church  ;  as  they  who  seldom 
communicate,  delijiht  not  to  remember  the  passion 
of  our  liOrd,  and  sin  against  his  very  purpose,  and 
one  of  the  designs  of  institution ;  so  he  cares  not 
to  receive  the  benefits  of  the  sacrifice  who  so 
neglects  their  application,  and  reducing  them  to 
actual  profit  and  reception.  "  Whence  came  the 
sanctimony  of  the  primitive  Christians?  whence 
came  their  strict  observation  of  the  divine  com- 
mandments ?  whence  was  it  that  they  persevered 
in  holy  actions  with  hope  and  an  unweary  dili- 
gence ?  from  whence  did  their  despising  worldly 
ihingscome,  and  living  with  common  possession, 
and  the  distributions  of  an  universal  charity  ? 
Whence  came  these  and  many  other  excellencies, 
but  from  a  constant  prayer,  and  a  daily  eucha- 
rist  ?  Tiiey  who  every  day  represented  tiie  death 
of  Christ,  every  day  were  ready  to  die  for  Christ." 
It  was  tlie  discourse  of  an  ancient  and  excellent 
person.  And  if  we  consider  this  sacrament  is  in- 
tended to  unite  the  spirits  and  affections  of  the 
world,  and  that  it  is  diffusive  and  powerful  to  this 
j)urpose,  ('  for  we  are  one  body,'  saith  St.  Paul, 
'  because  we  partake  of  one  bread,')  possibly  we  may 
liave  reason  to  say,  that  the  wars  of  kingdoms,  the 
animosity  of  families,  the  infinite  multitude  of  law- 
suits, the  personal  hatreds,  and  the  universal  want 
of  charity,  which  hath  made  the  world  miserable 
and  wicked,  may  in  a  great  degree  be  attributed 
to  the  neglect  of  this  great  s\  mbol  and  instrument 


261  OF    THE    INSTITUTION    AND 

of  charity.  The  chalice  of  the  sacrament  is  called 
by  St.  Paul,  *  the  cup  of  blessing  :'  and  if  children 
need  every  day  to  beg  blessing  of  their  parents,  if 
we  also  thirst  not  after  this  cup  of  blessing,  bless- 
ing may  be  far  from  us.  It  is  called,  '  the  com- 
munication of  the  blood  of  Christ;'  and  it  is 
not  imaginable  that  man  should  love  heaven, 
or  felicity,  or  his  Lord,  that  desires  not  per- 
petually to  bathe  in  that  salutary  stream,  the 
blood  of  the  holy  Jesus,  the  immaculate  Lamb  of 
God. 

21.  But  I  find  that  the  religious  fears  of  men 
are  pretended  a  colour  to  excuse  this  irreligion. 
Men  are  wicked,  and  not  prepared  ;  and  busy, 
and  full  of  cares  and  affairs  of  the  world,  and  can- 
not come  with  due  preparation ;  and  therefore  bet- 
ter not  come  at  all.  Nay,  men  are  not  ashamed  to 
say,  they  are  at  enmity  with  certain  persons,  and 
therefore  cannot  come.  1.  Concerning  those  per- 
sons who  are  unprepared,  because  tliey  are  in  a 
state  of  sin  or  uncharitableness;  it  is  true,  they 
must  not  come  :  but  this  is  so  far  from  excusing 
their  not  coming,  that  they  increase  their  sin,  and 
secure  misery  to  themselves,  because  they  do  not 
*  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  that  doth  so 
easily  beset  them,'  that  they  may  come  to  the  mar- 
riage-supper. It  is  as  if  we  should  excuse  our- 
selves from  tlie  duties  of  charity,  by  saying  we  are 
uncharitable;  from  giving  alms,  by  saying  we  are 
covetous ;  from  chastity,  by  saying  we  are  lascivi- 
ous. To  such  men  it  is  just  that  they  graze  with 
the  goats,  because  they  refuse  to  wash  llieir  hands, 
that  tliey  may  come  to  the  supper  of  the  Laml). 
2.  Concerning  those  that  pretend  cares  and  in- 
cumbrances of  tlie  world  :  if  their  affairs  make  sin 


KECTPTION    uf    run    SACnAMENT.  ^Cy6 

and  impure  affections  to  stick  opon  them,  they  are 
in    tlie    first   considerations;  but  if  tlieir  office  he 
necessary,  jnst  or  cliaritablo,  tliey  imitate  iNIartha, 
and  choose  the  less  perfect  part,  when  they  neglect 
the  offices  of  religion   for  duties  economical.     3. 
But  the  other  sort   have  more  pretence  and  fairer 
virtue  in  their  outside.    They  suppose,   like  the 
Persian  princes,  the  seldomer  such  mysterious  rites 
are  seen,  tlie  more  reverence  we   shall   have,  and 
they  the  more  majesty  ;  and   they  are  fearful  lest 
the   frequent  attraction  of  them   should  make  us 
less  to  value  the  great  earnests  of  our  redemption 
and  immortality.     It  is  a  pious  consideration,  but 
not  becoming  them.     For  it  cannot  be  that  the 
sacrament  be  undervalued  by  frequent  reception, 
without  the  great   unworthiness  of  the  persons  so 
turning  God's  grace  into  lightness,  and  loathing 
manna:  nay,   it  cannot   be  without  an   unworthy 
communication;    for    he    that    receives     worthily 
increases  in  the  love  of  God  and  religion,  and  the 
fires  of  the  altar  are  apt  to  kindle  ox^r  sparks  into  a 
flame.     And  when  Christ  our  Jjord  enters  into  us, 
and  we  grow  weary  of  him,  or  less  fond  of  his  fre- 
quent entrance  and  perpetual  cohabitation,  it  is  an 
infallible  sign  we  have  let  his  enemy  in  or  are  pre- 
paring for  it.     For  this  is  the  difterence  between 
secular  and  spiritual  objects,  nothing  in  this  world 
hath  any  pleasure  in  it  long  beyond  the  hope  of  it; 
for  the  possession  and  enjoyment  is  found  so  emp- 
ty, that  we  grow   weary  of  it:  but  whatsoever  is 
spiritual,  and   in    order  to   God,  is  less  before  we 
have  it,  but  in   the  fruition  it   swells  our  desires, 
und  enlarges  tiie  aj)petite,  and  makes  us  more  re- 
ceptive ajjd   forward  in   the  entertainment.     And 
therefore  those  acts  of  religion  that  set  us  forward 


*2oi)  (»F    TUP:    INSI'JTL' TKtS'    AND 

in  time,  and  backward  in  aftection,  do  declare  that 
ive  have  not  well  done  our  duty,  but  have  commu- 
nicated unworthily:  so  that  the  mending  of  our 
fault  will  answer  the  objection.  Communicate 
with  more  devotion,  and  repent  with  greater  con- 
trition, and  walk  with  more  caution,  and  pray 
more  earnestly,  and  meditate  diligently,  and  re- 
ceive with  reverence  and  godly  fear;  and  we  shall 
find  our  affections  increase  together  with  the  spi- 
ritual emolument:  ever  remembering  that  pious 
and  wise  advice  of  St.  Ambrose,  "  Receive  every 
day,  that  which  may  profit  thee  every  day ;  but  he 
that  is  not  disposed  to  receive  it  every  day,  is  not 
lit  to  receive  it  every  year.'" 

22.  And  if  after  all  diligence  it  be  still  feared 
that  a  man  is  not  well  prepared,  I  must  say  that 
it  is  a  scruple,  that  is,  a  trouble  beyond  a  doubt, 
and  without  reason,  next  to  superstition  and  the 
dreams  of  religion :  and  it  is  nourished  by  imagining 
that  no  duty  is  accepted,  if  it  be  less  than  perfi?c- 
tion  ;  and  that  God  is  busied  in  heaven,  not  only 
to  destroy  the  wicked,  and  dash  in  pieces  vessels  of 
dishonour,  but  to  '  break  a  bruised  reed'  in  pieces, 
and  to  cast  the  smoking  flax  into  the  tlames  of 
hell.'  In  opposition  to  which  we  must  know,  that 
nothing  makes  us  unprepared  but  an  evil  con- 
science, a  state  of  sin,  or  a  deadly  act :  but  the 
lesser  infirmities  of  our  life,  against  which  we 
daily  strive,  and  for  which  we  never  have  any  kind- 
ness or  affections,  are  not  spots  in  these  feasts  of 
charity,  but  instruments  of  humility,  and  stronger 

'  De  Sacram.  lib.  v.  c.  4. 

''  St.  Chrysostom  says,  "  That  a  pure  conscience  only  deter- 
mines the  fitness  of  the  time  for  our  approaching  the  Lord's 
Uble. 


RECEPTION    OF     IHt    SACUAMEM'.  !L^f)7 

invitations  to  come  to   those   rites  which  are  or- 
dained   for   corroboratives    asfainst    infirmities   of 
the  soul,  and    for  the  growth  of  the  spirit  in  the 
stren^Jths  of  God.     For  those  other  acts  of  prepara- 
tion whicii  precede  and  accompany  tiie  duty,  the 
better  and   more   religiously   they   are  done,  they 
.■ire  indeed  of  more  advantage,  and  honorary  to  the 
sacrament:  yet  he  that  conies  in  the  state  of  grace, 
tliou^ih   he  takes  the  opportunity  upon  a  sudden 
ofter,    sins    not.     And    in   such   indefinite   duties, 
whose  degrees  are  not  described,  it  is  good  counsel 
to  do  our  best;  but  it  is  ill  to  make  them  instru- 
ments of  scruple,  as  if  it  were  essentially  necessary 
to  do  that  in  the  greatest  height,  which  is  only  in- 
tended for  advantage   and  the  fairer  accommoda- 
tion of  the  mystery.     But  these  very  acts,  if  they 
be  esteemed    necessary  preparations  to  llie  sacra- 
ment, are  the  greatest  arguments  in  the  world  that 
it  is  best  to  communicate  often  ;  because  the  doing 
of  that  which  must  suppose  the  exercise  o(  so  many 
graces,  must  needs  promote  the  interest  of  religion, 
and   dispose  strongly   to    habitual  graces    by   our 
frequent  and   solemn  repetition  of  the  acts.     It  is 
necessary  liiat  every  communicant  be  first  examin- 
ed  concerning  the   state  of  his  soul,  by  himself  or 
his  superior;  and  that  very  scrutiny  is  in  admir- 
able order  towards  the  reformation  of  such  irregu- 
larities which  time  and  temptation,  negligerce  and 
incuriousness,  infirmity   or  malice,    have  brought 
into  the  secret  regions  of  our  will  and  understand- 
ing.    Now  although  this  examination  be  tiierefore 
enjoined,  that  no  man  sliould  approach  to  the  holy 
tal)le  in    the  state   of  ruin  and  reprobation  ;  and 
that  therefore   it  is  an  act  not  of  direct  preparation, 
but   on   inquiry   whether  we  be   prepared  or  no; 


S6b       IHE    INSTITUTION    OF    THE    SACRAMENT. 

yet  this  very  examination  will  find  so  many  little 
irregularities,  and  so  many  great  imperfections, 
that  it  will  appear  the  more  necessary  to  repair 
the  hreaches  and  lesser  ruins  by  such  acts  of  [)iety 
and  religion  ;  because  every  communication  is  in- 
tended to  be  a  nearer  approach  to  God,  a  furtlier 
step  in  grace,  a  progress  towards  glory,  and  an  in- 
strument of  perfection  ;  and  therefore,  upon  the 
stock  of  our  spiritual  interests,  for  the  purchase  of 
a  greater  hope,  and  the  advantages  of  a  growing 
charity,  ought  to  be  frequently  performed.  I  end 
with  the  words  of  a  pious  and  learned  person : 
"  It  is  a  vain  fear  and  an  imprudent  reverence, 
that  procrastinates  and  defers  going  to  the  Lord 
that  calls  them  :"'  they  deny  to  go  to  the  fire,  pre- 
tending they  are  cold  ;  and  refuse  physic,  because 
they  need  it. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  blessed  and  eternal  Jesus,  who  gavest  thyself  a  sacrifice 
for  our  sins,  thy  body  for  our  spiritual  food,  thy  blood  to 
nourish  our  spirits,  and  to  quench  the  flames  of  hell  and  lust, 
who  didst  so  love  us,  who  were  thine  enemies,  that  thou  de- 
siredst  to  reconcile  us  to  thee,  and  becamest  all  one  with  us,  that 
we  may  live  the  same  life,  think  the  same  thoughts,  love  the 
same  love,  and  be  partakers  of  thy  resurrection  and  immor- 
tality ;  open  every  window  of  my  soul,  that  I  may  be  full  of 
light,  and  may  see  the  excellency  of  thy  love,  the  merits  of  thy 
sacrifice,  the  bitterness  of  thy  passion,  the  glories  and  virtues  of 
the  mysterious  sacrament.  Lord,  let  me  ever  hunger  and  thirst 
after  this  instrument  of  righteousness;  let  me  have  no  gust  or  re- 
lish of  the  unsatisfying  delights  of  things  below,  but  let  my  soul 
dwell  in  thee  :  let  me  for  ever  receive  thee  spiritually,  and  very 
frequently  communicate  with  thee  sacramen tally,  and  imitate 
thy  virtues  piously  and  strictly,  and  dwell  in  the  pleasures  of 

■  Joan,  (ierson,  in  Alagnifica.  ; 


CONSIDF.UAriO.NS    ON    THE    I'ASSION.  QC\) 

tliy  lioubc  eternally.  Lord,  thou  hast  prepared  a  tabic  for  me, 
against  them  that  trouble  me.  Iiet  that  holy  sacrament  of  the 
eucharist  be  to  me  a  defence  and  shield,  a  nourishment  and  me- 
dicine, life  and  health,  a  means  of  sanctification  and  spiritual 
growth  ;  that  I,  receiving  the  body  of  my  dearest  I^ord,  may  be 
one  with  his  mystical  body,  and  of  the  same  spirit,  united  with 
indissoluble  bands  of  a  strong  faith,  and  a  holy  hope,  and  a 
never-failing  charity  ;  that  from  this  veil  I  may  pass  into  the  vi- 
sions of  eternal  clarity,  from  eating  thy  body  to  beholding  thy 
face  in  the  glories  of  thy  everlasting  kingdom,  O  blessed  and 
eternal  Jesus.     Amen. 


Consideralions  xtpoii  /he  .Iccideiits  happening  on  the 
Vespers  of  the  Passion. 

I.  When  Jesus  had  supped,  and  sang  a  hymn, 
and  prayed,  and  exhorted,  and  comforted  his  dis- 
ciples with  a  farewell-sermon,  in  which  he  repeated 
such  of  his  former  precepts  which  were  now  appo- 
site to  ll  e  present  condition,  and  reinforced  them 
with  proper  and  pertinent  arguments,  he  went 
over  the  brook  Cedron,  anfl  entered  into  a  garden, 
and  into  the  prologue  of  his  passion  ;  choosing 
that  place  for  his  agony  and  satisfactory  ])ains,  in 
which  the  first  scene  of  human  misery  was  repre- 
sented, and  where  he  njight  best  attend  the  oftices 
of  devotion  preparatory  to  his  death.  Besides  this, 
lie  thereiure  departed  from  the  house,  that  he 
might  give  opportunity  to  his  enemies'  surprise, 
and  yet  no  incommodate  the  good  man,  by  whose 
hosj)itality  they  had  eaten  the  paschal  lamb.  So 
thiit  he  v\ent  like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  to  the 
garden  as  to  a  prison  ;  as  if  by  an  agreement  with 
his  persecutors  he  had  expected  their  arrest,  and 
Btaycd   there  to  prevent  their  further  intjuiry  :  for 


270  CONSIDERATIONS    ON    THE 

SO  great  was  his  desire  to  pay  our  ransom,  that 
himself  did  assist,  hy  a  forward  patience  and  active 
opportunity  towards  the  persecution  :  tea'ching  us, 
that  by  an  active  zeal  and  a  ready  spirit  we  assist 
the  designs  of  God's  glory,  tliough  in  our  own  suf- 
ferings and  secular  infelicities. 

2.  When  he  entered  the  garden,  he  left  his  dis- 
ciples at  the  entrance  of  it,  calling  with  him  only 
Peter,  James,  and  John  :  '  he  withdrew  himself 
from  the  rest  about  a  stone's  cast,  and  began  to  lie 
exceeding  heavy.'  He  was  not  sad  till  he  had 
called  them,  (for  his  sorrow  began  when  he  pleased  :) 
which  sorrow  he  also  chose  to  represent  to  those 
three  who  had  seen  his  transfiguration,  the  earnest 
of  his  future  glory,  that  they  might  see  of  how 
great  glory  for  our  sakes  he  disrobed  himself;  and 
that  they  also  might,  by  the  confronting  those  con- 
tradictory accidents,  observe,  that  God  uses  to 
dispense  his  comforts,  the  irradiations  and  emis- 
sions of  his  glory,  to  be  preparatives  to  those  sor- 
rows with  which  our  life  must  be  allayed  and  sea- 
soned ;  that  none  should  refuse  to  partake  of  the 
sufferings  of  Ciirist,  if  either  they  have  already 
felt  his  comforts,  or  hope  hereafter  to  wear  his 
crown  :  and  it  is  not  ill-observed,  that  St.  Peter, 
being  the  chief  of  the  apostles,  and  doctor  of  the 
circumcision,  St.  John,  being  a  virgin,  and  St. 
James,  the  first  of  the  apostles  that  was  martyred, 
were  admitted  to  Christ's  greatest  retirements  and 
mysterious  secrecies,  as  being  persons  of  so  singu- 
lar and  eminent  dispositions,  to  whom,  according 
to  the  pious  opinion  of  the  church,  especial  coronets 
are  prepared  in  heaven  ;  besides  the  great  crown  of 
righteousness,  which  in  common  shall  beautify  the 
heads  of  all  the  saints  :  meaning  this,  that  doctors. 


vi;.Hri;ft>   oi     IHK    PASSION.  1271 

Tirgins,  ami  martyrs,  sliall  receive,  even  for  their 
very  state  of  life  and  accidental  graces,  more  enji- 
nent  dei^rees  of  accidental  glory  ;  like  as  the  sun, 
reflecting  upon  a  limpid  fountain,  receives  its  rays 
doubled,  without  any  increment  of  its  proper  antl 
natural  light. 

3.  Jesus  began  to  be  exceeding  sorr(;wful,  to  he 
sore  amazed,  and  sad  even  to  death.  And  because 
he  was  now  to  suffer  the  pains  of  our  sins,  there 
began  his  j)assion,  whence  our  sins  spring.  From 
an  evil  heart  and  a  prevaricating  spirit  all  our  sin.s 
arise  :  and  in  the  spirit  of  Christ  began  his  sorrow  ; 
wd)ere  he  truly  felt  the  full  \alne  and  demerit  ol 
sin,  which  we  think  not  worthy  of  a  tear  or  a 
hearty  sigh ;  but  he  groaned  and  fell  under  the 
burden.  But  therefore  he  took  upon  him  this  sad- 
ness, that  our  imj)erfect  sorrow  and  contrition 
might  be  heightened  in  his  example,  and  accepted 
in  its  union  and  confederacy  with  his.  And  Jesus 
still  designed  a  further  mercy  for  us;  for  he  sanc- 
tified the  passion  of  fear,  and  hallowed  niitural 
Badnesses,  that  we  might  not  think  the  infelicities 
of  our  nature,  antl  the  calamities  of  our  temporal 
♦  ondition  to  beconie  criminal,  so  long  as  they  make 
us  not  omit  a  duty,  nor  dispose  us  to  the  ehclioii 
of  a  crime,  nor  force  us  to  swallow  a  temptation, 
nor  yet  to  exceed  the  value  of  their  impulsive 
cause.  He  that  grieves  for  the  loss  of  friends,  antl 
yet  had  rather  lose  all  the  friends  he  halh  than 
lose  the  love  of  God,  hath  the  sorrow  of  our  I.ord 
for  his  preccilent.  And  he  that  fears  death,  and 
trembles  at  its  approximation,  and  yet  had  rather 
die  again  than  sin  once,  hath  not  sinnetl  in  his 
fear  J  Christ  hath  hallowed  it,  antl  the  necessitous 


272  CUiNSlDERATIONS    ON    THE 

condition  of  his  nature  is  his  excuse.  But  it  were 
highly  to  be  wished,  that  in  the  midst  of  our 
caresses  and  levities  of  society;  in  our  festivities 
and  trium|)hal  merriments,  when  we  laugh  at  folly 
and  rejoice  in  sin,  we  would  remember,  that  for 
those  very  merriments  our  blessed  Lord  felt  a  bitter 
sorrow  ;  and  not  one  vain  and  sinful  laughter,  but 
cost  the  holy  Jesus  a  sharp  pang  and  throe  of  pas- 
sion. 

4.  Now  that  tlie  holy  Jesus  began  to  taste  the 
bitter  cup,  he  betook  him  to  his  great  antidote, 
which  himself,  the  great  physician  of  our  souls, 
prescribed  to  all  the  world  to  cure  their  calamities, 
and  to  make  them  pass  from  miseries  into  virtue, 
hat  so  they  may  arrive  at  glory.  He  prays  to  his 
Heavenly  Father ;  he  kneels  down,  and  not  only 
so,  but  falls  flat  upon  the  earth,  and  would  in  hu- 
mility and  fervent  adoration  have  descended  low  as 
the  centre  :  he  prays  with  an  intention  great  as  his 
sorrow,  and  yet  with  a  dereliction  so  great,  and  a 
conformity  to  the  divine  will  so  ready,  as  if  it  had 
been  the  most  indifferent  thing  in  the  world  for 
him  to  be  delivered  to  death,  or  from  it :  for  though 
Ins  nature  did  decline  death,  as  that  which  hath  a 
natural  horror  and  contradiction  to  the  present  in- 
terest of  its  preservation,  yet  when  he  looked  upon 
it  as  his  heavenly  Father  had  put  it  in  the  order  of 
redemption  of  the  world,  it  was  that  baptism  which 
he  was  straitened  till  he  had  accomplished.  And 
now  there  is  not  in  the  world  any  condition  of 
prayer  which  is  essential  to  the  duty,  or  any  cir- 
cumstances of  advantage  to  its  performance,  but 
were  concentred  in  this  one  instance;  humility  of 
spirit,  lowliness  of  deportment,  importunity  of  de- 


VKSrF.llS    OF    THE    I'ASSKlN.  273 

sire,  a  fervent  spirit,  ;i  lauCul  niatU'r,  resignation  to 
the  will  of  God,  "rent  love,  the  love  of  a  son  to  his 
father,  (which  appelhitive  was  the  form  of  Ijis  ad- 
dress,) perseverance,  (he  went  thrice,  and  prayed 
the  siinie  prayer.)  Il  was  not  lontj,  anti  it  was  so 
retired  us  to  have  the  advantao^es  of  a  sufficient  so- 
litude and  opportune  recollection  ;  for  he  was  with- 
th-awn  from  the  most  of  his  disciples:  and  yet  not 
so  alone  as  to  lose  the  benefit  of  communion  ,  for 
Peter  and  the  two  Boanerges  were  near  1  im.  Christ 
in  this  jirayer,  which  was  the  most  fervent  that  he 
exer  mad*:  on  earth,  intending'  to  transmit  to  all 
the  world  a  precedent  of  devotion  to  be  transcribed 
and  in)ilat»;d ;  that  we  should  cast  all  our  cares 
and  empty  tliem  in  the  bosom  of  God,  being  con- 
lent  to  receive  such  a  portion  of  our  trouble  back 
again,  which  he  assigns  us  for  our  spiritual  emolu- 
ment. 

5.  Tile  holy  Jesus  having  in  a  few  w  ords  poured 
out  torrents  of  innocent  desires,  was  pleased  slill 
to  interrupt  his  prayer  that  he  might  visit  his 
charge,  that  little  flock  which  was  presently  after 
to  be  scattered  :  he  was  careful  of  them  in  the 
midst  of  his  agonies  ; — they  in  his  sufferings  were 
Jiist  asleep.  He  awakens  tlieni,  gives  them  com- 
niand  to  watch  and  pray  ;  that  is,  to  be  vigilant  in 
the  custody  of  tlicir  senses,  and  observant  of  all 
accidents,  and  to  pray  that  they  may  be  strength- 
ened agamst  all  incursions  of  enen)ies  and  tempta- 
tions; and  then  relurnsto  prayer;  and  so  a  third  time, 
liis  devotion  still  increasing  with  his  sorrow.  And 
when  his  prayer  was  full,  and  his  sorrow  come  to  a 
great  measure,  after  tin;  third,  God  sent  his  '  angel 
to  comlbrt  iiim  :'  and  by  tliat  act  of  grace  tlicn  only 
♦'xpreswd,  hath  taiiglu  lis  to  continue  our  devotion* 

vol,.     Ji.  |o 


274  CONSIDKKATIONS    ON    THE 

SO  long  as  our  needs  last.  It  may  be  God  will  not 
send  a  comforter  till  the  third  time  ;  that  is,  after  a 
long  expectation,  and  a  patient  sufferance,  and  a 
lasting  hope:  in  the  interim  God  supports  us  with 
a  secret  hand,  and  in  his  own  time  will  refresh 
the  spirit  with  the  visitations  of  his  angels,  with 
the  emissions  of  comfort  from  the  Spirit,  the  Com- 
forter. And  know  this  also,  that  tlie  holy  angel, 
and  the  Lord  of  all  the  angels,  stands  by  every 
holy  person  when  he  prays :  and  altliough  he 
draws  before  his  glories  the  curtain  of  a  cloud,  yet 
in  every  instant  he  takes  care  we  shall  not  perish, 
and  in  a  just  season  dissolves  the  cloud,  and 
makes  it  to  distil  in  holy  dew,  and  drops  sweet 
as  manna,  pleasant  as  nard,  and  wholesome  as  the 
breath  of  heaven.  And  such  was  the  consolation 
which  the  holy  .Tesus  received  by  the  ministry  of 
the  angel,'  representing  to  Christ,  the  Lord  of  the 
angels,  how  necessary  it  was  tliut  he  should  die 
for  the  glory  of  God  ;  that  in  his  passion,  his  jus- 
tice, wisdom,  goodness,  power,  and  mercy  should 
shine ;  that  unless  he  died  all  the  world  should 
perish,  but  his  blood  should  obtain  their  pardon ; 
and  that  it  should  open  the  gates  of  heaven,  re- 
pair the  ruin  of  angels,  establish  a  holy  church,  be 
j)roductive  of  innumerable  adoptive  children  to  his 
Father,  wliom  himself  should  make  heirs  of  glory  ; 
and  that  his  passion  should  soon  pass  away — his 
Father  hearing  and  granling  his  prayer,  that  the 
cup  should  pass  speedily,  though  indeed  it  should 

'  Conforra.tus  est,  sed  tali  coiifort-^^ione  quae  dolorem  noii  mi- 
nuit,  sed  magis  auxit;  contbrtatus  enim  est  ex  fructus  magnitu- 
dine,  non  subtracta  doloris  amaritiidine.  tJeda  in  Luc.  22. — 
"  He  was  comforted  witli  a  con^ol-ition  which  diminished  not, 
but  rather  augmented  his  pain  ;  tVr  he  was  comforted  by  the 
greatness  of  the  result,  tlie  liitlcints^  of  the  grief  remaining." 


VF.>|'1HR    nl      I  HI.    I'.*«SSU»N  275 

pns-  tlii<)ii;:;li  him;  that  it  slioiild  he  atteiidecl  and 
(MldWid  uiili  a  lilorious  lesiinection,  witl>  eternal 
rvsl  and  fjloiy  of  iiis  humanity,  with  the  exaltation 
'  ('  his  name,  witli  a  supreme  dominion  over  all  the 
W'>rhl.  aiirl  thai  his  Father  shouhl  make  him  Xing' 
n'  kiu<is,  and  Prince  of  the  catholic  church.  'I'hese, 
■  >r  whatsoever  other  comforts  tiie  an<^el  ministered, 
were  such  considerationswhich  the  holy  Jesus  knew, 
aiMJ  the  ant^el  knew  not  but  by  communication 
IVoui  that  God  to  whose  assumed  humanity  the 
anj^el  spake;  yet  be  was  pleased  to  receive  com- 
fort (roni  his  servant,  just  as  God  receives  glory 
fr  'Ui  his  creatures,  and  as  he  rejoices  in  his  own 
works,  even  because  he  is  good  and  gracious,  and 
is  pleased  so  to  <!();  and  because  himself  had  caused 
•I  voluntary  sadness  to  be  interposed  between  the 
habitual  knowledge  and  the  actual  consideration  of 
these  discourses,  .^nd  we  feel  a  pleasure  when  a 
friendly  iiand  lays  upon  our  wound  the  plaister 
which  ourselves  have  made,  and  applies  such  in- 
Ktruments  and  considerations  of  comfort  which  we 
l)ave  in  notion  and  an  ineffective  habit,  but  cannot 
reduce  tlieni  to  act,  because  nr)  man  is  so  apt  to  be 
his  own  coniforter  :  which  God  hath  therefore  pt  r- 
mitled,  that  our  need  sliould  be  the  occasion  (da 
mutual  charity. 

H.  It  was  a  gre;it  sejison  for  llie  angel's  coni'Dtr, 
because  it  wa*^  a  ureal  n»<essity  w  hich  was  iiKiini- 
bent  uj)on  our  Lord  ;  for  his  sadness  and  his 
aigony  was  so  great,  mingled  and  conipounded  of 
sorrow  and  zeal,  liar  and  desire,  innocent  nature 
and  perfect  grace,  that  he  sweat  dr<)|)s  as  great  as 
if  the  blood  had  started  through  little  un<lis- 
(erned     fontinels,    and    outrun    the    streams    and 


27(1  CONSinERATJONS    ON    THE 

rivers  of  his  cross.  Eutliymins '  and  Tlieopliy- 
lact*  say,  that  the  evangelists  use  this  as  a  tragical 
expiessioH  of  the  greatest  agony,  and  an  unusual 
sweat;  it  being  usual  to  call  the  tears  of  the  greatest 
sorrow  *  tears  of  blood.'  But  from  the  beginning 
of  the  church  it  halh  been  more  generally  appre- 
hended literally,  and  that  some  blood,  mingled  with 
the  serous  substance,  issued  from  his  veins  in  so 
great  abundance  that  they  moistened  the  ground 
and  bedecked  his  garment,  which  stood  like  a  new 
firmament  studded  with  stars,  portending  an  ap- 
proaching storm.  Now  *  he  came  from  Bozrah 
with  his  garments  red  and  bloody.'  And  this  agony 
verified,  concerning  the  holy  Jesus,  those  words 
of  David  :  '  I  am  poured  out  like  water,  my  bones 
are  dispersed,  my  heart  in  the  midst  of  my  body  is 
like  melting  wax,'  saith  Justin  Martyr.^  Venerable 
Bede  saith,  that  the  descending  of  these  drops  of 
blood  upon  tlie  earth,  besides  the  general  purpose, 
had  also  a  particular  relation  to  the  present  infir- 
mities of  the  apostles ;  that  our  blessed  Lord  ob- 
tained of  his  Father,  by  the  merits  of  those  holy 
drops,  mercies  and  special  support  for  them;  and 
that  effusion  redeemed  them  from  the  present  par- 
ticipation of  death.*  And  St.  Austin  meditates, 
that  the  body  of  our  Lord,  all  overspread  with  drops 
of  bloody  sweat,  did  prefigure  the  future  state  of 
martyrs;  and  that  his  body  mystical  should  be  clad 
in  a  red  garment  variegated  with  the  symbols  of 
labour  and  passion,   sweat  and   blood  ;  by  vvliich 

•  In  cap.  24.  Matt.  «  In  22  Lucae. 

■>  Justin.  JMart.  Dial.  Tryph.  Athanas.  lib.  vi.  de  Beat,  filii 
Dei.  Aug,  lib.  vi.  c.  5.  de  Consecr.  Evang.  Hier.  lib.  deTrad, 
Heb.  Iren.  lib.  iv  c.  31.  contra  haeres.  Idem  aiunt  Diony& 
Alex.  Aymonius,  Epiphan  et  alii. 

*  Lib.  vi.  in  Luc 


VF.SITRS    OF     IHK    IM^SIoN.  277 

InitiRelfwas  pleased  to  purify  liis  church,  and  pre- 
sent her  to  God  holy  and  spotless.  What  collate- 
ral designs  and  tacit  sin^nifications  might  be  de- 
sio^ned  by  this  mysterious  sweat  I  know  not:  cer- 
tainly it  was  a  sad  beginning  of  a  most  dolorous 
passion.  And  such  griefs,  which  have  so  violent, 
permanent,  and  sudden  effects  upon  the  body, 
which  is  not  of  a  nature  symbolical  to  interior  and 
immaterial  causes,  are  proclaimed  by  such  marks 
to  be  high  and  violent.  We  have  read  of  some 
persons,  tl)at  the  grief  and  fear  of  one  night  hath 
put  a  cover  of  snow  upon  their  heads,  as  if  the  la- 
bours of  thirty  years  had  been  extracted,  and  the 
quintessence  drank  off  in  the  passion  of  that  night. 
But  if  nature  had  been  capable  of  a  greater  or  more 
prodigious  impress  of  passion  than  a  bloody  sweat, 
it  must  needs  have  happened  in  this  agony  of  the 
holy  Jesus,  in  which  he  undertook  a  grief  great 
enough  to  make  up  the  imperfect  contrition  of  all 
the  saints,  and  to  satisfy  for  the  impenitencies  of 
all  the  world. 

7.  By  this  time  the  traitor  Judas  was  arrived  at 
Gethsemane;  and  being  in  the  vicinage  of  the  gar- 
den, Jesus  rises  from  his  prayers,  and  first  calls  his 
disciples  from  tiieir  sleep,  and  by  an  irony  seems 
to  give  them  leave  to  sleep  on,  but  reproves  their 
drowsiness  when  danger  is  so  near,  and  bids  them 
'henceforth  take  their  rest;'  meaning,  if  they  could 
for  danger,  which  was  now  indeed  come  to  the 
garden  doors.  But  the  holy  Jesus,  that  it  miglit 
appear  he  undertook  the  passion  will)  choice  and  a 
free  election,  not  only  refused  to  fly,  hut  called  his 
apostles  to  rise,  that  they  might  meet  his  murder- 
ers, will)  came  to  him  wilh  swords  and  slaves,  as  if 
they  were  to  surpvi-e  a   prince   of  armed  outlaws 


278  CONSIDERATfON8    <>N     lirE 

whom  without  force  they  could  not  rediice.  S(i 
also  mig^ht  butchers  do  well  to  g-o  armed,  when 
they  are  pleased  to  be  afraid  of  lambs,  by  calling 
them  lions.  Judas  only  discovered  his  Master's 
retirements,  and  betrayed  him  to  the  opportunities 
of  an  armed  band ;  for  he  could  not  accuse  his 
Master  of  any  word  or  private  action,  that  might 
render  him  obnoxious  to  suspicion  or  the  law  :  for 
such  are  the  rewards  of  innocence  and  prudence, 
that  the  one  secures  against  sin,  the  other  against 
suspicion  and  appearances. 

8.  Tlie  holy  Jesus  had  accustomed  to  receive 
every  of  iiis  disciples,  after  absence,  with  entertain- 
ment of  a  kiss,  which  was  the  endearment  of  per- 
sons, and  the  expression  of  the  oriental  civility  :  and 
Judas  was  confident  that  his  Lord  would  not  reject 
him,  whose  feet  he  had  washed  at  the  time  when  he 
foretold  this  event,  and  therefore  had  agreed  to  sig- 
nify him  by  this  sign;  and  did  so,  beginning  war 
with  a  kiss,  and  breaking  the  peace  of  his  Lord  by 
the  symbol  of  kindness.  Which  because  Jesus 
entertained  with  much  evenness  and  charitable 
expressions,  calling  him '  friend,'  he  gave  evidence, 
that  if  he  retained  civilities  to  his  greatest  enemies, 
in  the  very  acts  of  hostility,  he  hath  banquets,  and 
crowns,  and  sceptres  for  his  friends,  that  adore  him 
with  tlie  kissesof  charity,  and  love  him  with  the  sin- 
cerity of  an  affectionate  spirit.  But  our  blessed  Lord, 
besides  his  essential  sweetness  and  serenity  of  spi- 
rit, understood  well  how  great  benefits  himself  and 
all  the  world  were  to  receive  by  occasion  of  that  act 

■  Judas  :  and  our  greatest  enemy  does  by  accident 
to  holy  persons  the  offices  of  their  dearest  friends; 
telling  us  our  faults  without  a  cloak  to  cover  their 
deformities,  but  out  of  malice  l-iying  open  the  cir- 


VKSIT.IIS    ttF     lilt     J'ASSION  27i> 

camstances  of  aggravation,  doing  us  affronts  from 
whence  we  have  an  instrument  of  our  patience, 
and  restraining  us  from  scandalous  crimes,  lest  we 
become  '  a  scorn  and  reproof  to  them  tiiat  hate  us.' 
And  it  is  none  of  God's  least  mercies  that  he  per- 
mits enmities  amongst  men,  that  animosities  and 
peevishness  may  reprove  more  sharply,  and  correct 
with  more  severity  and  simplicity,  than  the  gentle 
nands  of  friends,  who  are  apterto  bind  our  wounds 
up,  than  to  discover  them  and  make  them  smart. 
But  they  are  to  us  an  excellent  probation  how 
friends  may  best  do  the  offices  of  friends,  if  they 
would  take  the  plainness  of  enemies  in  accusing, 
and  still  mingle  it  witli  the  tenderness  and  good 
affections  uf  friends.  But  our  blessed  liord  called 
Judas,  •  friend,'  as  being  the  instrument  of  bringing 
him  to  glory,  and  all  the  world  to  pardon,  if  ihey 
would. 

y.  Jesus  himself  begins  the  inquiry,  and  leads 
them  into  their  errand,  and  tells  them  he  was 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  whom  they  sought.  But  this 
also,  which  was  an  answer  so  gentle,  had  in  it  a 
strength  greater  than  the  eastern  wind  or  the  voice 
of  thunder  :  for  God  was  in  that  still  voice,  and  it 
struck  them  down  to  the  ground.  And  yet  they, 
and  so  do  we,  still  persist  to  persecute  our  Lord, 
and  to  provoke  the  eternal  God,  who  can  with  the 
breath  of  his  mouth,  with  a  word  or  a  sign,  or  a 
thought,  reduce  us  into  nothing,  or  into  a  worse 
condition,  even  an  eternal  duration  of  torments, 
and  cohabitation  with  a  never-ending  misery.  And 
if  we  cannot  bear  a  soft  answer  of  the  merciful 
God,  how  siiall  we  dare  to  provoke  the  wrath  of 
the  almighty  Judge  ?  Hut  in  this  instance  there 
was  a    rare   mixture   of  effects,    as   there   was  in 


2>^;  r(>Nsii>r:n ATioNs   on  tuk 

Christ  of  natnrfs ;  the  voice  of  a  man,  and  the 
power  of  God.  For  it  is  observed  by  the  doctors 
of  the  primitive  ages,  that  from  the  nativity  of  oiii 
Loixl  to  the  day  of  his  death,  the  divinity  and  hu- 
manity did  so  communicate  in  effects,  that  no 
great  action  passed,  but  it  was  like  the  sun  shining 
througli  a  cloud,  or  a  beauty  with  a  thin  veil  drawn 
over  it,  they  gave  illustration  and  testimony  to 
each  other.'  The  holy  .Jesus  was  born  a  tender 
and  a  crying  infant ;  but  is  adored  by  the  magi  as 
SI  king,  by  the  angels  as  their  God.  He  is  circum- 
cised as  a  man  ;  but  a  name  is  given  him  to  sig- 
nify him  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  He  flies 
into  Egypt  like  a  distressed  child  under  the  con- 
duet  of  his  helpless  parents;  but  as  soon  as  he 
enters  the  country,  the  idols  fall  down  and  confess 
his  true  divinity.  He  is  presented  in  the  temple 
as  the  son  of  man  ;  but  by  Simeon  and  Anna  he  is 
celebrated  with  divine  praises  for  the  Messias,  the 
Son  of  God.  He  is  baptized  in  Jordan  as  a  sinner  ; 
but  the  Holy  Ghost  descending  upon  him  pro- 
claimed him  to  be  the  well-beloved  of  God.  He  is 
hungry  in  the  desert  as  a  man ;  but  sustained  his 
body  without  meat  and  drink  for  forty  days  toge- 
ther by  the  power  of  his  divinity.  There  he  is 
tempted  of  Satan  as  a  weak  man ;  and  the  angels 
of  light  minister  unto  him  as  their  supreme  Lord. 
And  now,  a  little  before  his  death,  when  he  was  to 
take  upon  him  all  the  affronts,  miseries  and  exina- 
nitions  of  the  most  miserable,  he  receives  testimonies 
from  above,  which  are  most  wonderful :  for  he 
was  transfigured  upon  Mount  Tabor,  entered  tri- 
umphantly into  Jerusalem,  had   the  acclamations 

»  S.  Cyril.  S.  Athaiias.  S.  Leo.  &e. 


of  the  people;  when  he  was  dyinpc,  he  darkenerl 
the  sun  ;  when  he  was  dead,  he  opened  the  sepul- 
chres; when  lie  was  fast  nailed  to  the  cross,  he 
made  ti)e  earth  to  tremble  ;  now,  when  he  suffers 
himself  to  be  apprehended  by  a  guard  of  soldiers, 
he  strikes  them  all  to  the  ground  only  by  replying 
to  their  answer,  that  the  words  of  the  prophet  might 
be  verified:  'Therefore  my  people  shall  know  my 
name  ;  therefore  they  shall  know  in  that  day,  that 
I  am  he  that  doth  speak,  behold  it  is  I.'' 

10.  The  soldiers  and  servants  of  the  Jews  having 
recovered  from  their  fall,  and  risen  by  the  permis- 
sion of  Jesus,  still  persisted  in  their  inquiry  after 
him,  who  was  present,  ready,  and  desirous  to  be 
sacrificed.  He  therefore  permitted  himself  to  be 
taken,  but  not  his  disciples;  for  he  it  was  that  set 
them  their  bounds;  and  he  secured  his  apostles  to 
be  witnesses  of  his  sufferings  and  his  glories;  and 
this  work  was  the  redemption  of  the  world,  in 
which  no  man  could  have  an  active  share,  lie 
alone  was  to  tread  the  wine-press  ;  and  time  enough 
they  sliould  be  called  to  a  fellowship  of  sufferings.'' 
But  Jesus  went  to  them,  and  they  bound  him  with 
cords  :  and  so  began  our  liberty  and  redemption 
from  slavery  and  sin,  and  cursings  and  death. 
But  he  was  bound  iaster  by  bands  of  his  own  ;  his 
Father's  will,  and  mercy,  j)ily  of  the  world,  pro- 
phecies, and  mysteries,  and  love  held  him  fast . 
and  these  cords  were  as  strong  as  death;  and  the 
cords  which  the  soldiers'  malice  put  upon  his  holy 
hands  were  but  symbols  and  figures,  his  own  com- 
passion and  affection  were  the  morals.  But  yet 
be  undertook  this  short  restraint  and  condition  of 

•  laaiali,  lii.  ti.  »  S.  Cyril. 


2>iU  CON.SIURRATIONS    ON     IIIF 

a  prisoner,  tliat  all  sorts  of  persecution  and  exte- 
rior calanjities  might  be  hallowed  by  his  suscep- 
tion,  and  these  pungent  sorrows  should  like  bees 
sting  liim,  and  leave  their  sting  behind,  that  all 
the  sweetness  should  remain  for  us.  Some  melan- 
cholic devotions  have  from  uncertain  stories  added 
sad  circumstances  of  the  first  violence  done  to  our 
Lord  ;  that  they  bound  him  with  three  cords,  and 
that  with  so  much  violence,  that  they  caused  blood 
to  start  from  his  tender  hands ;  that  they  spat  tiien 
also  u|)on  him  witli  a  violence  and  incivility  like 
that  uliich  their  fathers  had  used  towards  Hur,  the 
brother  of  Aaron,  whom  they  choked  with  impure 
spittings  into  his  throat,  because  he  refused  to  con- 
sent to  the  making  a  golden  calf.  These  particu- 
lars are  not  transmitted  by  certain  records.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  they  wanted  no  malice,  and  now  no 
power;  for  the  Lord  had  given  himself  into  tlieir 
hands. 

11.  St.  Peter,  seeing  his  Master  thus  ill  used, 
asked,  '  Master,  shall  we  strike  with  the  sword  ?' 
and,  before  he  had  his  answer,  cut  oft"  the  ear  of 
Malchus.  Two  swords  there  were  in  Christ's 
family,  and  St.  Peter  bore  one,  either  because  he 
was  to  kill  the  paschal  lamb,  or,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  country,  to  secure  them  against 
beasts  of  prey,  whicli  in  that  region  were  frequent, 
and  dangerous  in  the  night.  But  now  he  used  it 
in  an  unlawful  war :  he  had  no  competent  autho- 
rity ;  it  was  against  the  ministers  of  his  lawful 
prince;  and  against  onr  prince  we  must  not  draw 
a  sword  for  Christ  himself,  himself  having  for- 
bidden us.  As  his  *  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,' 
so  neither  were  his  defences  secular.  He  could 
have    called   for  many   legions  of  angels  for   his 


vi:si'i:ns   ur    inr.   i-assion.  283 

guard,  if  lie  had  so  pleased  ;  and  we  read  that 
one  angel  slew  one  hundred  and  eij^hty-five  thou- 
sand armed  men  in  one  niglit ;  and  therefore  it 
was  a  vast  power  which  was  at  the  command  of  our 
Lord  ;  and  he  needs  not  such  low  auxiliaries  as  an 
army  of  rebels,  or  a  navy  of  pirates,  to  defend  his 
cause.  He  first  lays  the  foundation  of  our  happi- 
ness in  his  sufferings,  and  hath  ever  since  supported 
religion  by  patience  and  suffering,  and  in  poverty, 
and  in  all  the  circumstances  and  conjunctures  of 
imjjrobable  causes.  Fighting  for  religion  is  cer- 
tain to  destroy  charity,  hut  not  certain  to  supjjort 
faith.  St.  Peter  tlierefore  may  use  his  keys,  but 
he  is  commanded  to  put  up  his  sword  ;  and  he  did 
so;  and  presently  he  and  all  his  fellows  fairly  ran 
away.  And  yet  that  course  was  much  the  more 
Christian  ;  f(jr  though  it  had  in  it  much  infirmity, 
yet  it  had  no  malice.  In  the  meantime  ttie  Lord 
was  pleased  to  touch  the  ear  of  Malchus,  and  he 
cured  it ;  adding  to  the  first  instance  of  power,  in 
throwing  them  to  the  ground,  an  act  of  miraculous 
mercy,  curing  the  wounds  of  an  enemy  made  by  a 
friend.  But  neither  did  tiiis  pierce  their  callous 
and  obdurate  spirits;  but  they  led  him  in  uncouth 
ways,  and  through  tlie  brook  Codron,'  in  which  it 
is  said  the  ruder  soldiers  j)Iunged  him,  and  passed 
upon  him  all  the  affronts  and  rudenesses  which  an 
insolent  and  cruel  multitude  could  think  of,  to  sig- 
nify their  contempt  and  their  rage.  And  such  is 
the  nature  of  evil  men,  u  ho,  when  they  are  not 
soflened  by  the  instruments  and  arguments  of 
Rrace,  are  much  hardened  by  them  :  such  being 
the  purpose  of  God,  that  either  grace   shall   cure 

■   Psalm  ex.  ult. 


•284         toNSibr.iinioNs  on  thi:   i'.vssion. 

sin,  or  accidentally  increase  it;  that  it  shall  either 
pardon  it,  or  bring  it  to  greater  punishment.  For 
so  I  have  seen  healthful  medicines,  abused  by  the 
incapacities  of  a  healthless  body,  become  fuel  to  a 
fever,  and  increase  the  distemperature  from  indis- 
position to  a  sharp  disease,  and  from  thence  to  the 
margin  of  the  grave.  But  it  was  otherwise  in  Saul, 
whom  Jesus  threw  to  the  ground  with  a  more 
angry  sound  than  these  persecutors ;  but  Saul  rose 
a  saint,  and  they  persisted  devils,  and  the  grace  of 
God  distinguished  the  events. 


THE  PRAYER. 
I. 

O  holy  Jesus,  make  me,  by  thy  example,  to  confonu  to  the 
will  of  that  eternal  God  who  is  our  Father,  merciful  and  graci- 
ous; that  I  may  choose  all  those  accidents  which  his  providence 
hath  actually  disposed  to  me ;  that  I  may  know  no  desires  but 
his  commands,  and  his  will ;  and  that,  in  all  afflictions,  I  may 
fly  thiiher  for  mercy,  pardon,  and  support,  and  may  wait  for  de- 
liverance in  such  times  and  manners  which  the  Father  hath  re- 
served in  his  own  power,  and  graciously  dispenses  according  to 
his  infinite  wisdom  and  compassion.  Holy  Jesus,  give  me  the 
gift  and  spirit  of  prayer  ;  and  do  thou,  by  thy  gracious  interces- 
sion, supply  my  ignorances  and  passionate  desires  and  imperfect 
choices,  procuring  and  giving  to  me  such  returns  of  favour 
which  may  support  my  needs,  and  serve  the  ends  of  religion 
and  the  spirit,  which  thy  wisdom  chooses,  and  thy  passion  hath 
purchased,  and  thy  grace  loves  to  bestow  upon  all  thy  saints 
and  servants.     Amen. 

II. 

Eternal  God,  sweetest  Jesu,  who  didst  receive  Judas  with  the 
affection  of  a  Saviour,  and  sufferedst  him  to  kiss  thy  cheek,  witli 
the  serenity  and  tranquillity  of  God  ;  and  didst  permit  the 
soldiers  to  bind  thee,  with   patience  exemplary  to  all  ages  of 


«t\    tin    viiiLiii.iSii   i»i    .M:sts.  2b-5 

martyrs  ;  antl  iliil^t  i-iire  tlie  womul  of  iliy  enemy  with  the  cha- 
rity of  a  parent,  ami  the  tciuleriicss  of  an  inlinite  pity;  ()  kiss 
me  with  the  kisses  of  tliy  mouth,  embrace  me  with  the  entertain- 
ments of  a  gracious  Lord,  aiul  let  my  soul  dwell  and  feast  in 
thee  who  art  the  repository  of  eternal  sweetness  and  refreshments. 
Bind  me,  C)  Lord,  with  those  bands  which  tied  thee  fast,  the 
chains  of  love;  that  such  holy  union  may  dissolve  the  cords  of 
vanity,  and  conrine  the  bold  pretensions  of  usurping  passions 
and  imprison  all  extravagancies  of  an  impertinent  spirit,  and  lead 
cin  captive  to  the  dominion  of  grace  and  sanctified  reason  :  that  1 
also  may  imitate  all  the  parts  of  thy  holy  passion,  and  may  by 
thy  bands  get  my  liberty,  by  thy  kiss  enkindle  charity,  by  the 
touch  of  thy  hand  and  the  breath  of  thy  mouth  have  all  my 
wounds  cured  and  restored  to  the  integrity  of  a  holy  penitent, 
and  the  purities  of  innocence  ;  that  I  may  love  thee,  and  please 
thee,  and  live  with  thee  for  ever,  ()  holy  and  sweetest  Jcsuu 
Amen. 


Considerations  upon  the  Scourging  and  other  Accidents 
happening  from  the  Apprehension  tilt  the  i.'rnci- 
Jixion  of  Jesus. 

1.  The  house  of  Annas  stood  in  the  Mount 
Sion,  and  in  the  way  to  the  house  of  Caiaphas ; 
and  thither  he  was  led  as  to  tlie  first  stage  of  their 
triumi)h  for  their  surprise  of  a  person  so  feared 
and  desired  ;  and  there  a  naughty  person  smote 
the  holy  Jesus  upon  his  face,  for  saying  to  Annan 
that  he  had  made  his  doctrine  public,  and  that  all 
the  people  were  ahle  to  give  account  of  it:  to 
whom  the  Lamb  of  God  showed  as  much  meekness 
and  palieiice  in  his  answer,  as  in  his  answer  to 
Annas  he  iiad  showed  prudence  and  nK)desty  :  for 
now  tiiat  tlicy  had  taken  Jesus,  they  wanted  a 
crime  to  object  against  liim,  and  therefore  were  de- 
sirous  ti>  snatch  occasion    from  his  discourses,  to 


280         AcciDiiNTs  r\u)M  Tiir;  Ai>riu;iiENSiox 

whicli  tiiey  resolved  to  tempt  liim,  l>y  riiies^tions 
and  affronts  ;  but  liis  answer  was  general  and  in- 
definite, safe  and  true,  enough  to  acquit  his  doc- 
trine from  suspicions  of  secret  designs,  and  yet  se- 
cure against  their  present  snares  ;  for  now  himself, 
who  always  had  the  innocence  of  doves,  was  to 
join  with  it  the  prudence  and  wariness  of  serpents; 
not  to  prevent  deatli,  (for  that  he  was  resolved  to 
suffer,)  but  that  they  might  be  destitute  of  all  ap- 
pearance of  a  just  cause  on  his  part.  Here  it  was 
that  Judas  received  his  money  ;  and  here,  that 
holy  face  which  was  designed  to  be  that  object  in 
the  beholding  of  which  much  of  the  celestial  glory 
doth  consist ;  that  face  which  the  angels  stare  upon 
with  wonder,  like  infants  at  a  bright  sun-beam,  was 
smitten  extrajudicially  by  an  incompetent  person, 
with  circumstances  of  despite,  in  tlie  presence  of 
a  judge,  in  a  full  assembly,  and  none  reproved  tlie 
insolency  and  the  cruelty  of  the  affront :  for  they 
resolved  to  use  him  as  they  use  wolves  and  tigers, 
with  all  things  that  may  be  destructive,  violent, 
and  impious:  and  in  this  the  injury  was  height- 
ened, because  the  blow  was  said  to  be  given  by 
Malchus,  an  Idumean  slave,'  and  therefore  a  con- 
tem[)tible  person  ;  but  far  more  unworthy  by  his 
ingratitude  ;  for  so  he  repaid  the  holy  Jesus  for 
working  a  miracle,  and  healing  his  ear.  But  so 
the  Scripture  was  fulfilled:  'He  shall  give  his 
body  to  the  sniiters,  and  his  cheeks  to  the  nippers, 
saith  the  prophet  Isaiaii  ;  and  '  they  shall  smite  the 
cheek  of  the  judge  of  Israel,'  saith  INIicah.  And 
this  very  circumstance  of  the  passion  Ijactantins 

'  Afalchus  Idumaeis  missus  captivus   ab  oris.     Vide  Episc. 
£.'remon.  lib.  ii.  Christeiitos.  Isai   1.  C;  Micab.  v.  1. 


Till.    Till-:  citiciriMON.  287 

affirms  to  Iiave  been  foretold  by  tlie  Firytlira?an 
eibyl.'  But  no  meekness  or  indifferency  could 
engage  our  Lord  not  to  protest  liis  innocency : 
and  though  following  his  steps  we  must  walk  in 
the  regions  of  patience,  and  tranquillity,  and  ad- 
mirable toleration  of  injuries;  yet  we  may  repre- 
sent such  defences  of  ourselves,  which  by  not  re- 
sisting the  sentence  may  testify  that  our  suffering 
is  undeserved  :  and  if  our  innocency  will  not  pre- 
serve our  lives,  it  will  advance  our  title  to  a  better  ; 
and  every  good  cause  ill-judged  sliall  be  brought 
to  another  tribunal  to  receive  a  just  and  unerring 
sentence, 

2.  Annas  having  suffered  this  unwortliy  usage 
towards  a  person  so  excellent,  sent  him  away  to 
Caiaphas,  who  had  formerly,  in  a  full  council,  re- 
solved he  should  die;*  yet  now  palliating  the  de- 
sign with  the  scheme  of  a  tribunal,  they  seek  out 
for  witnesses,  and  the  witnesses  are  to  seek  for  alle- 
gations;  and  when  they  find  them,  they  are  to 
seek  for  proof,  and  those  proofs  were  to  seek  for 
unity  and  consent,  and  nothing  was  ready  for  their 
purposes;  Ijut  tliey  were  forced  to  use  the  sem- 
blance of  a  judicial  process,  that,  because  they 
were  to  make  use  of  Pilate's  authority  to  put  him 
to  death,  they  miglit  persuade  Pilate  to  accept  of 
their  examination  and  conviction,  without  further 
inquiry.  But  such  had  been  the  excellency  and 
exemplary  piety  and  prudence  of  the  life  of  Jesus, 
that  if  they  j)retended  against  him  questions  of 
their  law,  they  were  not  capital  in  a  Roman  court; 


■   Lib.  iv.  Instit.  cap.  16. 
»  Victor,  in  iS.  Alaru 


288  ACCIhi^NTS    FR()\f    Tilt:    ArPRKHKNSION 

if  they  .affirmed  that  he  had  moved  the  people  to 
sedition,  and  affected  the  kingdom,  they  saw  that 
all  the  world  would  convince  them  of  false  testi- 
mony. At  last,  after  many  attempts,  they  accused 
him  for  a  fiourative  speech,  a  trope  which  they 
could  not  understand  ;  which,  if  it  had  been  spoken 
in  a  literal  sense,  and  had  been  acted  too  accord- 
ing to  the  letter,  had  been  so  far  from  a  fault  that 
it  would  have  been  a  prodigy  of  power ;  and  it 
had  been  easier  to  raise  the  temple  of  Jerusalem, 
than  to  raise  the  temple  of  his  body.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  Lamb  of  God  left  his  cause  to  defend  itself 
under  the  protection  of  his  heavenly  Father ;  not 
only  because  himself  was  determined  to  die,  but 
because  if  he  had  not,  those  premises  could  never 
have  inferred  it.  But  this  silence  of  tb^'^ioly  Jesus 
fulfilled  a  prophecy ;  it  made  his  enemies  full  of 
murmur  and  amazement,  it  made  them  to  see  that 
he  despised  the  accusations  as  certain  and  apparent 
calumnies ;  but  that  himself  was  fearless  of  the 
issue,  and  in  the  sense  of  morality  and  mysteries 
tauo"ht  us  not  to  l:)e  too  apt  to  excuse  ourselves, 
when  the  semblance  of  a  fault  lies  upon  us,  unless 
by  some  other  duty  we  are  obliged  to  our  defences  ; 
since  he  who  was  most  innocent  was  most  silent : 
and  it  was  expedient,  that  as  the  first  Adam  in- 
creased his  sin  by  a  vain  apology,  the  silence  and 
sufferance  of  the  second  Adam  should  expiate  and 
reconcile  it. 

.3.  But  Caiaphas  had  a  reserve  which  he  knew 
should  do  the  business  in  that  assembly  ;  he  ad- 
jured him,  by  God,  to  tell  him  if  he  were  the 
Christ.  The  holy  Jesus,  being  adjured  by  so  sacred 
a  name,  would  not  now  refuse  an  answer,  lest  it 


rii.L    lift:   cut  (I  FIX  I  ON.  2S9 

mi^ht  not  consist  witii  tliat  honour  wliich  is  due  to 
it,  and  w  liich  lie  always  paid  ;  and  that  he  nii;;ht 
neither  despise  tlie  authority  of  liie  high-priest,  nor 
upon  so  solemn  occasion  he  wanting  to  that  great 
truth  which  he  came  down  to  earth  to  persuade  to 
tlie  world.  And  when  three  such  circumstances 
concur,  it  is  enough  to  open  our  moulhs,  though  «e 
let  in  death;  and  so  did  our  Lord — confessed  him- 
self to  be  the  Clirist,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
And  this  the  high-priest Tvas  pleased,  as  the  design 
was  laid,  to  call  blasphemy;  and  there  they  voted 
him  to  die.  Then  it  was  the  high-priest  rent  his 
clothes ;  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  when  the 
passion  was  finisiied,  the  clothes  of  the  priests  at 
tlie  l)eginning  of  it;  and  as  that  signified  the  de- 
parting of  the  synagogue,  and  laying  religion  open, 
so  did  the  rending  the  garments  of  Caiaphas  pro- 
phetically signify  that  the  priesthood  should  be 
rent  from  him,  and  from  the  nation.'  And  thus 
the  personated  and  theatrical  admiration  at  Jesus 
became  the  type  of  his  own  punishment,  and  con- 
signed the  nation  to  deletion  :  and  usually  God  so 
dispenses  his  judgments,  that  when  men  personate 
the  tragedies  of  others,  they  really  act  their  own. 

4.  Whilst  these  things  were  acting  concerning 
the  Lord,  a  sad  accident  happened  to  his  servant, 
Peter;  for  being  engaged  in  strange  and  evil  com- 
])any,  in  the  midst  of  danger,  surprised  with  a 
♦jueslion,  w  ithout  time  to  delilierate  an  answer,  to 
find  subterfuges,  or  to  fortify  himself,  he  denied  his 
Lord  shamefully,  with  some  boldness  at  first;  and 
tliis  grew  to  a  licentious  confidence,  and  then  to 
impudence,  and  denying  with  perjnry,  that  he 
knew  not  his  Lord,  who  yet  was  known  to  him  as 

idem  ait.  S.  Hicr. 
TttL.     II.  41 


290  ACCIUENfS    FKOM    TUi;    AI'PRKflKNSION 

his  own  heart,  and  was  dearer  than  his  eyes,  and 
for  whom  he  professed,  but  a  little  before,  he  would 
die ;  but  did  not  do  so  till  many  years  after :  but 
thus  he  became  to  us  a  sad  example  of  human  in- 
firmity; and  if  the  prince  of  the  apostles  fell  so 
foully,  it  is  full  of  pity,  but  not  to  be  upbraided,  if 
we  see  the  fall  of  lesser  stars.'  And  yet  that  we 
may  prevent  so  great  a  ruin,  we  must  not  mino^Ie 
with  such  company  who  will  provoke  or  scorn  us 
into  sin  ;  and  if  we  do,  yet  we  must  stand  upon 
our  <^uard  that  a  sudden  motion  do  not  surprise  us: 
or  if  we  be  arrested,  yet  let  us  not  enter  further  in 
our  sin,  like  wild  beasts  intricating  themselves  by 
their  impatience ;  for  there  are  some  who,  being 
ashamed  and  impatient  to  have  been  engaged,  take 
sanctuary  in  boldness,  and  a  shameless  abetting  it; 
so  running  into  the  darkness  of  hell  to  hide  their 
nakedness.  But  he  also  by  returning,  and  rising 
instantly,  became  to  us  a  rare  example  of  penitence ; 
and  his  not  lying  long  in  the  crime  did  facilitate  his 
restitution  :  for  the  Spirit  of  God  being  extinguished 
by  our  works  of  darkness,  is  like  a  taper,  which  if,  as 
soon  as  the  flame  is  blown  out,  it  be  brought  to  the 
fire,  it  sucks  light,  and  without  trouble  is  rekindled; 
but  if  it  cools  into  death  and  stiftness,  it  requires 
a  longer  stay  and  trouble.  The  holy  Jesus  in  the 
midst  of  his  own  sufferings  forgot  not  his  servant's 
danger,  but  was  pleased  to  look  upon  him  when 
tlie  cock  crew;  and  the  cock  was  the  preacher,  and 
the  look  of  Jesus  was  the  grace  that  made  his  ser- 
mon effectual;    and    because  he    was   but   newly 

'  "Oi/  TpoTTovai  (TKiat  roTf  aio^iaffivi-irovrai.  Srwf  oi  a/ta()- 
rini  T-a7c  v/'i'xn'C  aKo\n^Hmi'.  Agapet.  Diac  Capit.  Admonit. 
♦;fl.  I^eo  Serm.  !),  de  Pass.  Dom.  et  Euthym.  in  hunc locum.— 
"  In  the  same  manner  as  shadows  follow  bodies,  so  do  sins  the 
«OuL" 


TILL   THE    CRUCIFIXION.  291 

fallen,  and  his  habitual  love  of  his  Muster  thouf^h 
interrupted,  yet  had  suffered  no  natural  abatement, 
he  returned  with  the  swiftness  of  an  eag;le  to  the 
embraces  and  primitive  affections  of  his  Lord. 

5.  By  this  time  suppose  sentence  given,  Caia- 
phas  prejudging  all  the  Sanhedrim;  for  he  first 
declared  .Fe,'  us  to  have  spoken  blasphemy,  and  the 
fact  to  be  notorious,  and  then  asked  their  votes; 
«>hich  whoso  then  should  have  denied,  must  have 
contested  the  judgment  of  the  high-priest,  who  by 
the  favour  of  the  Romans  was  advanced,  (Valerius 
Grains,  who  was  president  of  Judea,  having  been 
his  patron,)  and  his  faction  potent,  and  his  malice 
great,  and  his  heart  set  upon  this  business :  alt 
which  inconveniences  none  of  them  durst  have  suf- 
t'erefl,  unless  he  had  had  the  confidence  greater  than 
of  an  aj)ostle  at  that  time.  But  this  sentence  was  but 
like  strong  dispositions  to  an  enraged  fever;  he  was 
only  declared  apt  and  worthy  for  death,  they  had 
no  power  at  that  time  to  inflict  it;  but  yet  they 
let  loose  all  the  fury  of  madmen  and  insolency  ot 
wounded,  smarting  soldiers;  and  although,  from 
the  time  of  his  being  in  the  house  of  Annas  till 
the  council  met,  they  had  used  him  with  studietl 
indignities ;  yet  now  they  renewed  and  doubled 
the  unmercifulness  and  their  injustice,  to  so  great 
a  height  that  tiieir  injuries  must  needs  have  been 
greater  than  his  patience,  if  his  patience  had  been 
less  tiian  infinite.  For  thus  man's  redemption 
grows  up  as  the  load  swells  which  the  holy  Jesus 
bare  for  us;  for  these  were  our  portion,  and  we, 
having  turned  the  flowers  of  paradise  into  thistles, 
should  for  ever  have  felt  their  infelicity,  hati  not 
Jesus  paid  the  debt.  But  lie,  l)eaiing  them  ujjou 
his  tender  body  wilii    an  even   and   excellent  and 


•292        ACCIDENTS    PROM    THF     APPREHENSION 

dispassionate  spirit,  offered  up  these  beginnir!;j8 
of  sufferings  to  his  Father,  to  obtain  pardon 
even  for  them  that  injured  him,  and  for  all  the 
world. 

6.  Judas  now  seeinj?  that  this  matter  went  fur- 
ther than  he  intended  it,  repented  of  his  fact.  For 
although  evil  persons  are  in  the  progress  of  their 
iniquity  invited  on  by  new  arguments,  and  sup- 
ported l>y  confidence  and  a  careless  spirit;  yet 
when  iniquity  is  come  to  the  height,  or  so  great  a 
proportion  lliat  it  is  apt  to  produce  despair  or  an 
intolerable  condition,  then  the  devil  suffers  the 
conscience  to  thaw  and  grow  tender,  but  it  is  the 
tenderness  of  a  bile,  it  is  soreness  rather  than  a 
new  disease;  and  either  it  comes  when  the  time  of 
repentance  is  past,  or  leads  to  some  act  which  shall 
make  the  pardon  to  be  impossible;  and  so  it  hap- 
pened here.  For  Judas,  either  impatient  of  the 
shame  or  of  the  sting,  was  thrust  on  to  despair  of 
pardon,  with  a  violence  as  hasty  and  as  great  as 
were  his  needs.  And  despair  is  very  often  used  like 
the  bolts  and  bars  of  hell-gates ;  it  seizes  upon  them 
that  had  entered  into  the  suburbs  of  eternal  death  by 
an  habitual  sin,  and  it  secures  them  against  all  re- 
treat. And  the  devil  is  forward  enough  to  bring  a 
man  to  repentance,  provided  it  be  too  late;  and  Esau 
wept  bitterly  and  repented  him;  and  the  five  fool- 
ish virgins  lift  up  their  voice  aloud  when  the  gates 
were  shut;  and  in  hell  men  shall  repent  to  all  eter- 
nity. Bui  I  consider  the  very  great  folly  and  in- 
felicity of  Judas :  it  was  at  midnight  he  received 
his  money  in  the  house  of  Annas ;  betimes  in 
that  morning  he  repented  his  bargain  :  he  threw 
the  money  back  again,  but  his  sin  stuck  close,  and 
it  is  thought  to  a  sad   eternity.     Such  is  the  pur- 


TILL    THE    CKUCIFIXON.  293 

chase  of  treason  and  the  reward  oC  covetousness; 
it  is  cheap  in  its  oft'ers,  momentary  in  its  posses- 
Bion,  unsatisfying  in  the  fruition,  uncertain  in  tiie 
Btay,  sudden  in  its  departure,  horrid  in  the  remem- 
brance, and  a  ruin,  a  certain  and  miserable  ruin  is 
in  tiie  event.  When  Judas  came  in  that  sad  condi- 
tion, and  told  his  miserable  story  to  them  that  set 
him  on  work,  they  let  him  go  away  unpitied  :  he 
had  served  their  ends  in  betraying  his  Lord,  and 
those  that  hire  such  servants  use  to  leave  them  in 
the  disaster,  to  shame  and  to  sorrow ;  and  so  did 
the  priests;  but  took  the  money,  and  refused  to 
put  it  into  the  treasury,  because  it  was  '  tiie  price 
of  blood  ;'  but  they  made  no  scruple  to  take  it  from 
the  treasury  to  buy  that  blood.  Any  thing  seems 
law  ful  that  serves  the  ends  of  ambitious  and  bloody 
|)ei"sons,  and  then  they  are  scrupulous  in  their 
cases  of  conscience  when  nothing  of  interest  does 
intervene  ;  for  evil  men  make  religion  the  servant 
of  interest ;  and  sometimes  weak  men  think  that  it 
is  the  fault  of  the  religion,  and  suspect  that  all  of 
it  is  a  design,  because  many  great  politics  make  it 
Ko.  The  end  of  the  tragedy  was,  that  Judas  died 
with  an  ignoble  death,  marked  with  the  circum- 
stances of  a  horrid  judgment,  and  perished  by  the 
most  infjMnous  iiands  in  the  world;  that  is,  by  his 
own.'  Wliich  if  it  be  confronted  against  the  ex- 
cellent s[)irit  of  St.  Peter,  who  did  an  act  as  con- 
tradictory to  his  honour  and  the  grace  of  God  a.s 
could  be  easily  iniagined  ;  yet  taking  sanctuary 
in  the  arms  of  his  Lord,  he  lodged  in  his  heart 
for  ever,  and  became  an  example  to  all  the  w  orld 
of  the  excellency   of  the  divine    mercy,  and  the 

'  S.  August.  Ac  civil.  Dei,  lib.  i.e.  l?. 


294        ACCIOKMS    IROM    TH  t    AITKKHtNSION 

efficacy  of  a  lioly  hope,  and  a  hearty,  timely,  and 
an  operative  repentance. 

7.  But  now  all  things  were  ready  for  the  pur- 
pose, the  high-priest  and  all  his  council  go  along 
with  the  holy  Jesus  to  the  house  of  Pilate,  hopinigj 
he  would  verify  their  sentence,  and  bring  it  to  ex- 
ecution, that  they  might  once  be  rid  of  their  fears, 
and  enjoy  their  sin  and  their  reputation  quietly. 
8t.  Basil  affirms,  that  the  high-priest  caused  the 
holy  Jesus  to  be  led  with  a  cord  about  his  neck; 
and  in  memory  of  that,  the  priests  for  many  ages 
wore  a  stole  about  theirs.'  But  the  Jews  did  it 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  nation,  to  signify 
he  was  condemned  to  death  :  they  desired  Pilate 
that  he  would  crucify  him,  they  having  found  him 
worthy.  And  when  Pilate  inquired  into  the  par- 
ticulars, they  gave  him  a  general  and  indefinite 
answer;  '  If  he  were  not  guilty,  we  would  not  have 
brought  him  unto  thee  :'  they  intended  not  to  make 
Pilate  judge  of  the  cause,  but  executor  of  their 
cruelty.  But  Pilate  had  not  learned  to  be  guided 
by  an  implicit  faith  of  such  persons,  which  he 
knew  to  be  malicious  and  violent;  and  therefore 
still  called  for  instances  and  arguments  of  their 
accusation.  And  that  all  the  world  might  see  with 
how  great  unworthiness  they  prosecuted  the  Mes- 
feias,  they  chiefly  there  accused  him  of  such  crinuvs 
upon  which  themselves  condemned  him  not,  and 
which  they  knew  to  be  false,  but  yet  likely  to  move 
Pilate,  if  he  had  been  passionate  or  inconsiderate 
in  his  sentences;  'he  offered  to  make  himself  u 
king.'  This  discourse  happened  at  the  entry  of 
the  Praetorium;  for  the  Jews,   who  had   no  con- 

'  In  Mysfagog.  Ilccles,  Autho.  Com.  in  Marc.  apud.  8. 
Hieron. 


Til. I,    THE    CRtCIIIXKlN.  20.1 

■cience  of  killinjj  the  King  of  hea\-en,  made  a  con- 
Bcience  of  the  external  customs  and  ceremonies  of 
their  law,  wliich  had  in  them  no  interior  sanctity, 
which  were  apt  to  separate  them  from  the  nations, 
and  remark  them  with  characters  of  relij^ion  and 
abstraction  :  it  would  defile  them  to  ^o  to  a  Roman 
forum,  where  a  capital  action  was  to  he  judj^eil ; 
and  yet  the  effusion  of  the  best  blood  in  the  world 
was  not  esteemed  against  their  religion  ;  so  violent 
and  blind  is  the  spirit  of  malice,  which  tnrns  hu- 
manity into  cruelty,  wisdom  into  craft,  diligence 
into  subornation,  and  religion  into  superstition. 

8.  Two  other  articles  they  alleged  against  him; 
but  the  first  concerned  not  Pilate,  and  the  second 
was  involved  in  the  third,  and  therefore  he  chose 
to  examine  him  upon  this  only,  of  his  being  a 
king.  To  which  the  holy  Jesus  answered,  lliat  it 
is  tnie  he  was  a  king  indeed,  l)ut  '  not  of  this 
world  ;'  his  throne  is  heaven,  the  angels  are  his 
courtiers,  and  the  whole  creation  are  his  subjects: 
his  regiment  is  spiritual,  his  judicatories  are  the 
courts  of  conscience  and  church  tribunals,  and  at 
doomsday,  the  clouds:  the  tribute  which  he  de- 
mands are  confomiily  to  his  laws,  faith,  hope,  and 
charity  ;  no  other  gabels  but  the  duties  of  a  holy 
spirit,  and  the  expresses  of  a  religious  worship,  and 
obedient  will,  and  a  consenting  undei-standiug. 
And  in  all  tiiis  Pilate  thought  tlie  interest  of 
Caesar  was  not  invaded.  For  certain  it  is,  the  dis- 
cipline of  Jesus  confirmed  it  much,  and  supported 
it  by  the  strongest  pillars.  And  here  Pilate  saw 
how  impertinent  and  malicious  their  accusation 
was.  And  we  who  declaim  against  tiie  unjust 
proceedings  of  the  Jews  against  our  di^arest  T»ord, 
bhould  do  well  to  take  care  that  wc,  in  accusing  any 


296        ACCIDENTS    FIIOM    THK    AITKLH  ESSION 

of  our  brethren  either  with  malicious  purpose,  or 
with  an  uncharitable  circumstance,  do  not  commit 
the  same  fault  which  in  them  we  so  hate  and  ac- 
cuse. Let  no  man  speak  any  thing;  of  liis  neighbour 
but  what  is  true.  And  yet  if  the  truth  be  height- 
ened by  the  biting  rhetoric  of  a  satirical  spirit,  ex- 
tended and  drawn  forth  in  circumstances  and  arts 
of  aggravation,  the  truth  becomes  a  load  to  a  guilty 
person,  is  a  prejudice  to  the  sentence  of  the  judge, 
and  hath  not  so  much  as  the  excuse  of  zeal,  much 
less  the  charity  of  Christianity.  Sufficient  to  eveiy 
man  is  the  plain  story  of  his  crime  :  and  to  excuse 
as  much  of  it  as  we  can,  would  better  become  us, 
who  perish  unless  we  be  excused  for  infinite  irregu- 
larities. But  if  we  add  this  also,  that  we  accuse  our 
brethren  before  them  that  may  amend  them  and 
reform  their  error,  if  we  pity  their  persons,  and  do 
not  hate  them,  if  we  seek  nothing  of  their  disgrace, 
and  make  not  their  shame  public,  but  when  the 
public  is  necessarily  concerned,  or  the  state  of  the 
man's  sin  requires  it,  then  our  accusations  are 
charitable  ;  but  if  they  be  not,  all  such  accusations 
are  accepted  by  Christ  with  as  much  displeasure, 
in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  the  malice  and  the 
proper  effect,  as  was  this  accusation  of  his  own 
person. 

9.  But  Pilate  having  pronounced  Jesus  inno- 
cent, and  perceiving  he  was  a  Galilean,  sent  him  to 
Herod,  as  being  a  more  competent  person  to  deter- 
mine concerning  one  of  his  own  jurisdiction. 
Herod  was  glad  at  the  honour  done  to  him,  and 
the  person  brought  him,  being  now  desirous  to  see 
some  miracle  done  before  him.  But  the  holy 
Jesus  spake  not  one  word  there,  nor  did  any  sign  ; 
80   to   reprove  the  sottish  carelessness  of  Herod, 


Til, I.   riiK  riii'tinxjoN.  207 

wlio,  living  in  the  place  of  Jesus's  abode,  never  had 
seen  his  person  or  heard  his  sermons.  And  if  we 
neglect  the  opportunities  of  <,Mace,  and  refuse  to 
heai-  the  voice  of  Christ  in  the  time  of  mercy  and 
divine  appointment,  we  may  arrive  at  that  state  ol 
misery  in  which  Christ  will  refuse  to  speak  one 
word  of  comfort  to  us ;  and  the  homilies  of  the 
gospel  shall  be  dead  letters,  and  the  spirit  not  at 
all  refreshed,  nor  the  understanding  instructed, 
nor  the  affections  moved,  nor  the  will  determined  ; 
but  because  we  have,  during  all  our  time,  stopped 
our  ears,  in  his  time  God  will  stop  his  mouth,  and 
shut  up  the  springs  of  grace,  that  wo  shall  receive 
no  refreshment,  or  instruction,  or  pardon,  or  feli- 
city. Jesus  suffered  not  himself  to  be  moved  at 
the  pertinacious  accusations  of  the  Jews,  nor  the 
desires  of  the  tyrant,  but  persevered  in  silence,  till 
Heiv)d  and  liis  servants  despised  him  and  dismissed 
him.  For  so  it  became  our  high-priest,  who  was 
to  sanctify  all  our  sufferings,  to  consecrate  affronts 
and  scorn,  that  we  may  learn  to  endure  contempt, 
and  to  suffer  ourselves  in  a  religious  cause  to  be 
despised  ;  and  when  it  happens  in  any  other,  to  re- 
member that  we  have  our  dearest  Lord  for  a  prece- 
dent of  bearing  it  with  admirable  simplicity  and 
equanimity  of  deportment.  And  it  is  a  mighty 
stock  of  self-love  that  dwells  in  our  spirits,  w  liich 
makes  us  of  all  afflictions  most  im])atient  of  this. 
But  Jesus  endured  this  despite,  and  suffered  this 
to  be  added,  that  he  was  exposed,  in  scorn,  to  the 
boys  of  the  streets.  For  Herod  caused  him  to  be 
arrayed  in  white,  sent  him  out  to  be  scorned  by  the 
people,  and  hooted  at  liy  idle  persons,  and  so  he 
remitted  him  to  Pilate.  And  since  that  accident 
to  our  r^ord,  tlio  rhnr«h  hnlli  not  undcji-ntly  chose 


2«J8       ACCIDENTS    FROM    THK    A IMREHENSION 

to  clothe  her  priests  with  albs  or  while  garments ; 
and  it  is  a  symbolical  intimation  and  represent- 
inent  of  that  part  of  the  passion  and  affront  which 
Herod  passed  upon  the  holy  Jesus,  And  this  is 
so  far  from  deserving  a  reproof,  that  it  were  to  be 
wished  all  the  children  of  the  church  would  imi- 
tate all  those  graces  which  Christ  exercised  when 
he  wore  that  garment,  which  she  bath  taken  up  in 
ceremony  and  thankful  memory  ;  that  is,  in  all  their 
actions  and  sufferings  be  so  estranged  from  secular 
arts  and  mixtures  of  the  world,  so  intent  upon  reli- 
gion, and  active  in  all  its  interests,  so  indifferent  to 
all  acts  of  providence,  so  equal  in  all  chances,  so 
patient  of  every  accident,  so  charitable  to  enemies, 
and  so  undeterred  by  exterior  events,  that  nothing 
may  draw  us  forth  from  the  severities  of  our  reli- 
gion, or  entice  us  from  the  retirement  of  a  recol- 
lected and  sober  and  patient  spirit,  or  make  us  to 
depart  from  the  courtesies  of  piety,  though  for 
such  adhesion  and  pursuit  we  be  esteemed  fools, 
or  ignorant,  or  contemptible. 

10.  When  Pilate  had  received  the  holy  Jesus, 
and  found  that  Herod  had  sent  him  back  uncon- 
demned,  he  attempted  to  rescue  him  from  their 
malice,  by  making  him  a  donative  and  a  freed 
man  at  the  petition  of  the  people.  But  they  prefer- 
red a  murderer  and  a  rebel,  Barabbas,  before  him: 
for  themselves  being  rebels  against  the  King  of 
heaven,  loved  to  acquit  persons  criminal  in  the 
same  kind  of  sin,  rather  than  their  Lord,  against 
whom  they  took  up  all  the  arms  that  they  could 
receive  from  violence  and  perfect  malice  ;  *  desiring 
lo  have  him  crucified  who  raised  the  dead,  and  to 
liave  the  other  released  who  destroyed  the  living. 
And  when   Pilalo   saw   they   were  set  upon   it    he 


TIM.  TJir.  rmcinxioN.  299 

consentecl,  and  delivered  him  first  to  be  scouieied  ; 
which  the  soldiers  executed  with  violence  and  un- 
relenting hands,  opening  his  virginal  body  to  na- 
kedness, and  tearing  his  tender  flesh,  till  the  pave- 
ment was  purpled  w  ith  a  shower  of  holy  blood.'  It 
is  reported  in  the  ecclesiastical  story,  tiiat  when 
St.  Agnes  and  St.  Barbara,  holy  virgins  and  mar- 
tyrs, were  stripped  naked  to  execution,  God,  pity- 
ing their  great  shame  and  trouble  to  have  their 
nakedness  discovered,  made  (or  them  a  veil  of 
light,  and  sent  them  to  a  modest  and  desired  death. 
But  the  holy  Jesus,  who  chose  all  sorts  of  shame 
and  confusion,  that  by  a  fulness  of  suffering  he 
might  expiate  his  Father's  anger,  and  tliat  he 
might  consecrate  to  our  sufferance  ail  kind  of 
affront  and  passion,  endured  even  the  shame  of 
nakedness  at  the  time  of  his  scourging,  suffering 
himself  to  be  divested  of  his  robes,  that  we  miglit 
be  clothed  with  that  stole  he  put  off.  For  there- 
fore he  took  on  him  the  state  of  sinning  Adam,  and 
became  naked,  that  we  might  first  be  clothed  with 
righteousness,  and  then  with  immortality. 

II.  After  they  had  scourged  him  without  re- 
morse, '  they  clothed  him  with  purple,  and  crowned 
him  with  thorns,  and  put  a  cane  in  his  hands,  for 
a  sceptre,  and  bowed  their  knees  before  liim,'  and 
'  saluted  him  '  with  mockery,  w  ith  a  '  Hail,  King  of 
the  .Tews  !'  and  they  '  beat  him,'  and  '  spat  uj>on 
him:'  and  then  Pilate  brought  iiim  fbrtii,  and 
showed  this  sad  spectacle  to  the  people ;  hoping 
this  might  move  them  to  compassion,  v\  ho  never 
loved  to  see  a  man  prosperous,  and  are  always 
troubled  to  see  the  same  man  in  misery.     But  the 

I  S.  Aug.  tract,  xv.  in  Joann. 


300        ACCIDtMS    IKOM    THL    APPREHENSION 

earth,  which  was  cur&ed  for  Adam's  sake,  and  was 
sowed  with  thorns  and  tliistles,  produced  the  full 
harvest  of  them ;  and  tl)e  second  Adam  gathered 
them  all,  and  made  j^arlands  of  them,  as  ensigns  of 
his  victory  which  he  was  now  in  pursuit  of  against 
sin,  the  grave,  and  hell.  And  we  also  may  make 
our  thorns,  which  are  in  themselves  pungent  and 
dolorous,  to  be  a  crown,  if  we  bear  them  patiently, 
and  unite  tliem  to  Christ's  passion,  and  offer  them 
to  his  honour,  and  bear  them  in  his  cause,  and 
rejoice  in  them  for  his  sake.  And  indeed,  after 
such  a  grove  of  thorns  growing  upon  the  head  of 
our  Lord,  to  see  one  of  Christ's  members  soft,  deli- 
cate, and  effeminate,  is  a  great  indecency,  next  to 
this  of  seeing  the  Jews  use  the  King  of  glory  witb. 
the  greatest  reproach  and  infamy. 

12.  But  nothing  prevailing,  nor  the  innocence  of 
Jesus,  nor  his  immunity  from  the  sentence  of 
Herod,  nor  the  industry  and  diligence  of  Pilate, 
nor  the  misery  nor  the  sight  of  the  afflicted  Lamb 
of  God,  at  last  (for  so  God  decreed  to  permit  it, 
and  Christ  to  suffer  it)  Pilate  gave  sentence  of 
death  upon  him,  having  first  washed  his  hands.  Of 
which  God  served  his  end,  to  declare  the  innocence 
of  his  Son,  of  which  in  this  whole  process  he  was 
most  curious,  and  suffered  not  the  least  probability 
to  adhere  to  him :  yet  Pilate  served  no  end  of  his, 
nor  preserved  any  thing  of  his  innocence.  He 
that  rails  upon  a  prince,  and  cries,  Saving  your 
honour,  you  are  a  tyrant  ;  and  he  that  strikes  a 
man  upon  the  face,  and  cries  him  mercy,  and  un- 
does him,  and  says  it  was  in  jest,  does  just  like 
that  person  that  sins  against  God,  and  thinks 
to  be  excused  by  saying  it  was  against  his 
c  >i  srie:ice ;    that    is,     washing     our    hands    when 


TM.t.    inK  <'m  crnxiov.  301 

they  are  sUiiiied  in  blood  ;  as  if  a  ceremony  of  pu- 
rification were  ennufjii  to  cleanse  a  soul  from  the 
stains  of  a  spiritual  impurity.  So  some  refuse  not 
to  take  any  oath  in  times  of  persecution,  and  say 
it  obliges  not,  because  it  uas  forced,  and  done 
against  their  will ;  as  if  the  doing  of  it  were  waslied 
off  by  protesting  against  it:  whereas  the  protesting 
against  it  declares  me  criminal,  if  I  rather  choose 
not  death  than  that  wiiich  I  profess  to  be  a  sin. 
But  all  the  persons  which  co-operated  in  this 
death,  were  in  this  life  consigned  to  a  fearful  judg- 
ment after  it.  The  Jews  took  the  blood  (which 
Pilate  seemed  to  wash  off)  '  upon  themselves  and 
their  children  ;'  and  tlie  blood  of  this  paschal 
Lamb  stuck  upon  their  forehead, and  marked  them, 
not  to  escape,  but  to  fall  under  the  sword  of  the 
destroying  angel ;  and  they  perished  either  by  a 
more  hasty  death,  or  shortly  after  in  the  extirpa- 
tion and  miserable  ruin  of  their  nation.  And 
Pilate  who  had  a  less  share  in  the  crime,  yet  had 
a  black  character  of  a  secular  judgment :  for  not 
long  after  he  was  by  Vitellius,  the  president  of 
Syria,  sent  to  Rome  to  answer  to  the  crimes  ob- 
jected against  him  by  the  Jews,  whom  to  please  he 
had  done  so  much  violence  to  liis  conscience ; 
and  by  Caesar's  sentence  he  was  banished  to  Vieima, 
deprived  of  all  his  honours,  where  he  lived  inglo- 
riously,  till,  by  impatience  of  his  calamity,  he  killed 
himself  with  his  own  hand.  And  thus  the  blood  of 
Jesus,  shed  for  the  salvation  of  the  world,  became 
to  them  a  curse  ;  and  that  which  purifies  the  saints, 
stuck  to  them  that  shed  it,  (and  mingled  it  not  with 
the  tears  of  repentance,)  to  be  a  leprosy  loathsome 
and  incurable.  So  manna  turns  to  worms,  and  the 
wint!  of  angels  to  vinegar  and   lees,  when   it  is  re- 


302        ACCIDENTS    FROM    THE    API'REHENSION 

ceiverl  into  impure  vessels,  or  tasted  by  wanton 
palates  ;  and  the  sun  itself  produces  rats  and  ser- 
pents, when  it  reflects  upon  the  dirt  of  Nilus. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  holy  and  immaculate  Lamb  of  God,  who  wert  pleased  to 
suffer  shame  and  sorrow,  to  be  brought  before  tribunals,  to  be 
accused  maliciously,  betrayed  treacherously,  condemned  unjustly, 
and  scourged  most  rudely,  suffering  the  most  severe  and  most  un- 
handsome inflictions  which  could  be  procured  by  potent,  subtle, 
and  extremest  malice  ;  and  didst  choose  this  out  of  love  greater 
than  the  love  of  mothers,  more  affectionate  than  the  tears  of  joy 
and  pity  dropped  from  the  eyes  of  most  passionate  women,  by 
these  fontinels  of  blood  issuing  forth  life  and  health  and  pardon 
upon  all  thine  enemies ;  teach  me  to  apprehend  the  baseness  of 
sin,  in  proportion  to  the  greatest  of  those  calamities  which  rriy 
sin  made  it  necessary  for  thee  to  suffer,  that  I  may  hate  the  cause 
of  thy  sufferings,  and  adore  thy  mercy,  and  imitate  thy  charity, 
and  copy  out  thy  patience  and  humility,  and  love  thy  person  to 
the  uttermost  extent  and  degrees  of  my  affections.  Lord,  what 
am  I,  that  the  eternal  Son  of  God  should  suffer  one  stripe  for 
me  ?  But  thy  love  is  infinite.  And  how  great  a  misery  is  it  to 
provoke  by  sin  so  great  a  mercy,  and  despise  so  miraculous  a 
goodness,  and  to  do  fresh  despite  to  the  Son  of  God  ?  But  our 
sins  are  innumerable,  and  our  infirmities  are  mighty.  Dearest 
Jesu,  pity  me,  for  I  am  accused  by  my  own  conscience,  and  am 
found  guilty  ;  I  am  stripped  naked  of  my  innocence,  and  bound 
fast  by  lust,  and  tormented  with  stripes  and  wounds  of  enraged 
appetites.  But  let  thy  innocence  excuse  me,  the  robes  of  thy 
righteousness  clothe  me,  thy  bondage  set  me  free,  and  thy  stripes 
heal  me :  that  thou  being  my  advocate,  my  physician,  my 
patron,  and  my  Lord,  I  may  be  adopted  into  the  union  of  thy 
merits,  and  partake  of  the  efficacy  of  thy  sufferings,  and  be 
crowned  as  thou  art,  having  my  sins  changed  to  virtues,  and  my 
thorns  to  rays  of  glory  under  thee  our  head,  in  the  participation 
of  eternity,  ()  holy  and  immaculate  Lamb  of  God.     Amen. 


OF    A    I.fK    I'RtPARxnON    FOR    DEATH.        1^03 

DISCOURSE  XX. 
Of  Death,  and  the  due  Manner  of  Preparation  to  it. 

I.  The  Holy  Spirit  of  God  hath  in  Scripture  re- 
vealed to  us  but  one  way  of  preparini^  to  death,  and 
that  is,  by  a  holy  life;  and  there  is  nothing  in  all 
the  book  of  life,  concerninj^  this  exercise  of  address 
to  death,  but  such  advices  which  suppose  the  dyinji" 
person  in  a  state  of  grace.  St.  James  indeed  cc)un- 
sels,  that  in  sickness  we  should  send  for  the  minis- 
ters ecclesiastical,  and  that  they  '  pray  over  us,'  and 
that  we  'confess  our  sins,  and  they  shall  be  for- 
given ;' '  that  is,  those  prayers  are  of  great  efficacy 
for  the  removing  the  sickness,  and  taking  of!"  that 
punishment  of  sin,  and  healing  them  in  a  certain 
degree,  according  to  the  efficacy  of  the  ministry, 
and  the  dispositions  or  capacities  of  the  sick  per- 
■son.  But  we  must  know  that  oftentimes  univer- 
sal eft'ects  are  attributed  to  partial  causes  ;  l)e- 
causeby  the  analogy  of  Scripture  we  are  taught, 
that  all  the  body  of  holy  actions  and  ministries  are 
to  unite  in  production  of  the  event,  and  tliat  without 
that  arlunation  one  thing  alone  cannot  operate:  I/ut 
because  no  one  alonedoes  the  work,  but  by  an  united 
power,  therefore  indefinitely  the  effect  is  ascribed 
sometimes  to  one,  sometimes  to  another;  meaning, 
that  one  as  much  as  the  other,  that  is,  all  together, 
are  to  work  the  pardon  and  the  grace.  But  the 
doctrine  of  preparation  to  death  we  are  clearest 
taught  in  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins.'*  Those 
who  were  wise  stood  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the 
bridegroom,  their   lamps  burning;  only  when  the 

'Jam  V,  14,  &c.  *  Matt.  tlxv. 


304  l»F    A    DIF.     PRF.rAUATfON 

LorJ  was  at  han(1,  the  notice  of  liis  coming 
published,  they  trimmed  their  lamps  ;  and  they,  so 
disposed,  went  forth,  and  met  him,  and  entered 
with  liira  into  his  interior  and  eternal  joys.  They 
whose  lamps  did  not  stand  ready  beforehand,  ex- 
pecting- the  uncertain  hour,  were  shut  forth,  and 
bound  in  darkness.  'Watch,  therefore,  (so  our 
Lord  applies  and  expounds  the  parable,)  for  ye 
know  not  the  day  nor  the  hour  of  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man.''  Whenever  the  arrest  of  death 
seizes  us,  unless  before  that  notice  we  had  oil 
in  our  vessels,  that  is,  grace  in  our  hearts,  ha- 
bitual grace,  (for  nothing  else  can  reside  or 
dwell  there,  an  act  cannot  inhabit  or  be  in  a  vessel,) 
it  is  too  late  to  make  preparation.  But  they  who 
have  it,  may  and  must  prepare ;  that  is,  they  must 
stir  the  fire,  trim  the  vessel,  make  it  more  actual  in 
its  exercise  and  productions,  full  of  ornament,  ad- 
vantages, and  degrees.  And  that  is  all  we  know  from 
Scripture  concerning  preparation. 

2.  And  indeed,  since  all  our  life  we  are  dying 
and  this  minute  in  which  I  now  write,  death  di- 
vides with  me,  and  hath  got  the  surer  part  and  more 
certain  possession,  it  is  but  reasonable  that  we 
should  always  be  doing  the  offices  of  preparation. 
If  to-day  we  were  not  dying,  and  passing  on  to  our 
grave,  then  we  might  with  more  safely  defer  our 
Mork  till  the  morrow.  But  as  fuel  in  a  furnace,  in 
every  degree  of  heat  and  reception  of  the  flame,  is 
converting  into  fire  and  ashes,  and  the  disposing  it 
to  the  last  mutation,  is  the  same  work  with  the  last 
instance  of  its  change  ;  so  is  the  age  of  every  day  a 
beginning  of  death,  and  the  night  composing  us 

■  Matt.  xiii.  25. 


Kolt    DKAIH.  ;i().'> 

to  sleep  bids  us  go  to  our  lesser  rest ;  because  that 
night,  which  is  the  etui  of  the  jireceilingday,  is  but 
a  lesser  death  :  and  \vi)ereas  now  we  have  died  so 
many  days,  the  last  day  of  onr  life  is  hut  the  dying 
of  so  many  more;  and  when  that  last  day  of  dying 
will  come  we  know  not.  There  is  nothing  then  add- 
ed but  the  circumstance  of  sickness,  which  also  hap- 
pens many  times  before ;  only  men  are  pleased  to 
call  that  death  which  is  the  end  of  dying,  when  we 
cease  to  die  any  more.  And  therefore  to  put  off 
our  preparation  till  that  which  we  call  death,  is  to 
put  off  the  work  of  all  our  life,  till  the  time  comes 
in  which  it  is  to  cease  and  determine. 

3.  But  to  accelerate  our  early  endeavour,  (be- 
sides what  hath  been  formerly  considered  upon  the 
proper  grounds  of  repentance,)  I  here  reinforce  the 
consideration  of  death  in  such  circumstances  which 
are  apt  to  engage  us  upon  an  early  industry.  First, 
T  consider,  lliat  no  man  is  sure  that  he  shall  not  die 
suddenly  ;  and  therefore,  if  heaven  be  worth  secur- 
ing, it  were  fit  that  we  should  reckon  every  day  the 
vespers  o;  ilealh;  and  tiierefore,  tliat,  according  to 
the  usual  rites  of  religion,  it  b(;  begun  and  spent  with 
religious  offices.  And  let  us  consider,  that  those 
many  persons  who  are  remarked  in  history  to  have 
<iied  suddenly,  either  were  happy  by  an  early 
piety,  or  miserable  by  a  sudden  death.  And  if  un- 
certainty of  condition  bean  abatement  of  felicity, 
and  spoils  the  good  we  possess,  no  man  can  b»; 
happy  but  he  that  hath  lived  well;  that  is,  who  hath 
Secured  his  condition  by  an  habitual  and  living 
piety  :  for  since  CJod  halh  not  told  us  we  shall  not 
die  suddenly,  is  it  not  certain  he  intendeti  we 
should  prepare  for  sudden  death,  as  well  as  again^i 

vol..    II.  42 


30G  or  DUE  piiEi'AruTioN 

death  clothed  in  any  other  circumstances  ?  Fabius, 
surnamed  Pictor,  was  choked  with  a  hair  in  a  moss 
of  milk;  Anacreon  with  a  raisin;  cardinal  Cojonna 
with  figs  crusted  with  ice  ;  Adrian  the  Fourth  with  a 
fly;  DrusiusPompeius  with  a  pear;  Domitius  Afer, 
Quintilian's  tutor,  with  a  full  cup;  Casimire  the  Se- 
cond, king  of  Polonia,  with  a  little  draught  of  wine; 
Amurath  with  a  full  goblet;Tarquinius  Priscus  with 
a  fish-bone.  For  as  soon  as  a  man  is  born,  that  which 
in  nature  only  remains  to  him  is  to  die :  and  if  we 
differ  in  way  or  time  of  our  abode,  or  the  manner 
of  our  exit,  yet  we  are  even  at  last.  And  since  it 
is  not  determined  by  a  natural  cause  which  way 
we  shall  go,  or  at  what  age,  a  wise  man  will  sup 
pose  himself  always  upon  his  death-bed  :  and  such 
supposition  is  like  making  of  his  will  ;  he  is  not 
the  nearer  death  for  doing  it,  but  he  is  the  readier 
for  it  when  it  comes. 

4.  Saint  Jerome  said  well,  "  He  deserves  not  the 
name  of  a  Christian,  who  will  live  in  lliat  state  of 
life  in  which  he  will  not  die."  And  indeed  it  is  a 
great  venture  to  be  in  an  evil  state  of  life,  because 
every  minute  of  it  hath  a  danger:  and  therefore  a 
succession  of  actions,  in  every  one  of  which  lie  may 
as  well  perish  as  escape,  is  a  boldness  that  hath  no 
mixture  of  wisdom  or  probable  venture.  How 
many  persons  have  died  in  the  midst  of  an  act  of 
sport,  or  at  a  merry-meeting  !  Grimoaldus,  a  Lom- 
bard king, died  with  shooting  of  a  pigeon;  Thales, 
the  Milesian,  in  the  theatre  ;  Lucia,  the  sister  of 
Aurelius  the  emperor,  playing  with  her  little  sog, 
was  wounded  in  her  breast  with  a  needle,  and 
died.  Benno,  bishop  of  Adelburg,  with  great  cere- 
mony and  joy   consecrating  St.  Michael's  church 


lOR    UEMII  .  .'JOT 

was  crowded  to  death  by  the  people;'  so  was  the 
duke  of  Saxony,  at  the  inaug-uration  of  Albeit  I. 
The  preat  lawyer  Baldus,  playing-  with  a  little  dog, 
was  bitten  upon  the  lip,  instantly  gvew  mad,  and 
perished.  Chiirles  the  Eighth,  of  France,  seeing 
certain  gentlemen  playing  at  tenniscourt,  swooned, 
and  recovered  not.  Henry  II.  was  killed  running 
at  tilt.  liudovicus  Borgia  with  riding  the  great 
horse ;  and  the  old  Syracusan,  Archimedes,  was 
slain  by  a  rude  soldier,  as  he  was  making  diagrams 
in  the  sand,  which  was  his  greatest  pleasure.  How 
many  men  have  died  laughing,  or  in  the  ecstasies 
of  a  great  joy.  Philippides  the  commedian,  and 
Dionysius,  the  tyrant  of  Sicily,  died  with  joy  at 
the  news  of  a  victory.*  Diagoras  of  Rhodes,  and 
Chilo,  the  philosopher,  expired  at  the  embraces  of 
their  sons,  crowned  with  an  Olympic  laurel/  Po- 
ly crita  Naxia,  being  saluted  the  saviouress  of  her 
country;^  Marcus  Juventius,  when  the  senate  de- 
creed him  honours  ;  the  emperor  Conrade  the  Se- 
cond, when  he  triumphed,  after  the  conquest  of 
Italy,  had  a  joy  biggi  r  than  their  heart,  and  iheir 
I'ancy  swelled  it  till  they  burst  and  died.^  Death 
can  enter  in  at  any  door.  Philistion  of  Nice  died 
with  excessive  laughter;  so  did  the  poet  Philemon, 
being  provoked  to  it  only  by  seeing  an  ass  eat  figs. 
And  the  number  of  persons  who  have  been  lound 
suddenly  dead  in  their  beds,  is  so  great,  that  as  it 
engages  many  to  a  more  certain  and  regular  devo- 
tion for  their  compline,  so  it  were  well  it  were  pur- 
sued to  the  utmost  intention  of  God  ;  that  is,  that 
all  the  parts  of  religion  should  with  zeal  and  assi- 

'  Crantzius,  lib.  iii.  c.  51.     Matthiol  in  Dioscor. 

«  Plin.  lib.  vii.  c.  53.  '  Cicer.  1.  Tusc. 

*  Plut.  et  Gel.  de  Illust.  mulier.  *  Cuipin. 


308  uV    A    DIK    I'Rr.PARATMV 

(luity  1)0  eiiteitained  and  finished,  that,  as  it  he- 
comes  wise  men,  we  never  be  surprised  with  that 
we  are  sure  will  some  time  or  other  happen.  A 
great  general  in  Italy,  at  the  sudden  death  of  Al- 
fonsus  of  Ferrara;  and  Lodovico  Corbinelli,  at  the 
sight  of  the  sad  accident  upon  Henry  II.  of  France, 
now  mentioned,  turned  religious,  and  they  did 
what  God  intended  in  those  deaths.  It  concerns 
us  to  be  curious  of  single  actions,  because  even  in 
those  shorter  periods  we  may  expire  and  find  our 
graves.  But  if  the  state  of  life  be  contradictory  to 
our  hopes  of  heaven,  it  is  lilce  affronting  of  a  can- 
non before  a  beleagured  town  a  month  together;  it 
is  a  contempt  of  safety,  and  a  rendering  all  reason 
useless  and  unprofitable.  But  he  only  is  wise, 
who,  having  made  death  familiar  to  him  by  expect- 
ation and  daily  apprehension,  does  at  all  instants 
go  forth  to  meet  it.  The  wise  virgins  '  went  forth 
to  meet  the  bridegroom,'  for  they  were  ready.  Ex- 
cellent therefore  is  the  counsel  of  the  son  of  Sirach  : 
*  Use  physic  or  ever  thou  be  sick.  Before  judg- 
ment examine  thyself,  and  in  the  day  of  visitation 
thoii^  shall  find  mercy.  Humble  thyself  before 
thou  be  sick,  and  in  the  time  of  sins  show  repent- 
ance. Let  nothing  hinder  thee  to  pay  thy  vows  in 
due  time,  and  defer  not  until  death  to  be  justified.'' 
5.  Secondly,  I  consider,  that  it  often  hap- 
pens, that  in  those  days  of  our  last  visitation, 
which  many  men  design  for  their  preparation 
and  repentance,  God  hath  expressed,  by  an  ex- 
terior accident,  that  those  persons  have  deceived 
themselves,  and  neglected  their  own  salvation. 
St.  Gregory  reports  of  Cln-ysaurius,  a  gentleman 

'  Kcdus.  xvii.  19,  &c. 


r<»K   iM\iM.  309 

In  the  province  of  Viileria,  licli,  vicious,  and  witty, 
lascivious,  covetous  and  proud,  that  being  cast  upon 
his  death-hcd,  he  fancied  lie  saw  evil  spirits  coming 
to  arrest  liim  and  drag  liim  to  hell.  He  fell  into 
great  agony  and  troulde,  shrieked  out,  called  for 
his  son,  who  was  a  very  religious  person,  flattered 
him,  as  willing  to  have  been  rescued  by  any  thing : 
but  perceiving  his  danger  increase,  and  grow- 
ing desperate,  he  called  loud,  with  repeated  cla- 
mours, "  Give  me  respite  but  till  tiie  morrow,"  and 
with  those  words  lie  died,  there  being  "  no  place 
left  for  his  repentance,  though  he  sought  it  care- 
fully with  tears  and  groans," '  The  same  was  the 
case  of  a  drunken  monk,  whom  venerable  Bede 
mentions.  Upon  his  death-bed  he  seemed  to  see 
hell  opened,  and  a  place  assigned  him  near  to  Cai- 
aphas  and  those  wlio  crucified  our  dearest  Lord. 
The  religious  persons  that  stood  a>ioi\t  his  bed, 
called  on  him  to  repent  of  his  sins,  to  implore  the 
mercies  of  God,  and  to  trust  in  Christ :  but  he 
answered,  with  reason  enough,  "  This  is  no  time  to 
change  my  life  ;  the  sentence  is  passed  upon  me, 
and  it  is  too  late."*  And  it  is  very  considerable 
and  sad  which  Petrus  Damianus  tells  ofGunizo,  a 
factious  and  ambitious  person,  to  whom,  it  is  said, 
the  tempter  gave  notice  of  his  approaching  death  ; 
but  when  any  man  preached  repentance  to  him, 
out  of  a  strange  incuriousness,  or  the  spirit  of  re- 
brobation,  he  seemed  like  a  dead  and  unconcerned 
person  ;  in  all  other  discourses  he  was  awake 
and  apt  to  answer:*  for  God  had  shut  up  the 
gates  of  mercy,  that  no  streams  sliould  issue  forth 
to  quench  the  flames  of  hell;  or  else  had  shut  up 

'  Uomil.  i2,  in  Evang.  t  Life.  y.  c.  15^  Hist.  Gent.  Anglor, 

J  Biblioth.  Ss,  Pp.  torn.  iii. 


310  or    A    Dl'F.    I'RKPARATIflN 

the  grates  of  reception  and  entertainment,  that  it 
should  not  enter.  Either  God  denies  to  give 
them  pardon  when  they  call,  or  denies  to  them 
a  power  to  call ;  they  either  cannot  pray,  or 
God  will  not  answer.  Now  since  these  stories 
are  related  by  men,  learned,  pious,  and  eminent 
in  their  generations,  and  because  they  served 
no  design  but  the  ends  of  piety,  and  have  in 
them  nothing  dissonant  from  revelation,  or  the  fre- 
quent events  of  providence,  we  may  upon  their 
stock  consider,  that  God's  judgments  and  visible 
marks  being  set  upon  a  state  of  life,  although  they 
happen  but  seldom  in  the  instances,  yet  they  are  of 
universal  purpose  and  signification.  Upon  all 
murderers  God  hath  not  thrown  a  thunder-bolt,  nor 
broke  all  sacrilegious  persons  upon  the  wheel  of  an 
inconstant  and  ebbing  estate,  nor  spoken  to  every 
oppressor  from  heaven  in  a  voice  of  thunder,  nor 
cut  off  all  rebels  in  the  first  attempts  of  insurrec- 
tion :  but  because  he  hath  done  so  to  some,  we  are 
to  look  upon  those  judgments  as  divine  accents 
and  voices  of  God,  threateuing  all  the  same  crimes 
with  the  like  events,  and  with  the  ruins  of  eternity. 
For  though  God  does  not  always  make  the  same 
prologues  to  death,  yet  by  these  few  accidents  hap- 
pening to  single  persons,  we  are  to  understand  his 
purposes  concerning  all  in  the  same  condition  :  it 
was  not  the  person  so  much  as  the  state  which  God 
then  remarked  with  so  visible  characters  of  his  dis- 
pleasure. 

6.  And  it  seems  to  me  a  wonder,  that  since  from 
all  the  records  of  Scripture,  urging  the  uncertainty 
of  the  day  of  death,  the  horror  of  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, the  severity  of  God,  the  dissolution  of  the 
world,  the  certainty  of  our  account,  still  from  all 


FOR    DEATH.  31  1 

these  premises  the  spirit  of  God  makes  no  ntlier 
jnlerence,  but  that  we  watch,  and  stand  in  a  re;i- 
diness,  that  we  '  live  in  all  holy  conversation  and 
{godliness,''  and  that  there  is  no  one  word  concern- 
ing any  other  manner  of  an  essentially  necessary  pre- 
paration, none  but  this;  yet  that  there  are  doctrines 
commenced,  and  rules  prescribed,  and  offices  set 
down,  and  suppletories  invented  by  curates  of 
souls,  iiow  to  prepare  a  vicious  person,  and  upon 
his  death-bed  to  reconcile  him  to  the  hopes  and 
promises  of  heaven.  Concerning-  which  I  desire 
that  every  j)erson  would  but  inquire,  where  any 
one  promise  is  recorded  in  Scripture  concerning^ 
such  addresses,  and  wliat  articles  Christ  hath  drawn 
up  between  his  Father  and  us  concerning-  a  prepa- 
ration begun  upon  our  death-bed  :*  and  if  he  shall 
find  none,  (as  most  certainly  from  Genesis  to  the 
Revelation  there  is  not  a  word  concerning  it,  but 
very  much  against  it,)  let  him  first  build  his  hopes 
upon  this  proposition — that  a  holy  life  is  the  only 
preparation  to  a  haf»py  death ;  and  then  we  can, 
without  danger,  proceed  to  some  other  consider- 
ations. 

7.  When  a  good  man,  or  a  person  concerning^ 
whom  it  is  not  certain  he  hath  lived  in  habitual 
vices,  comes  to  die,  there  are  but  two  general  ways 
of  intercourse  with  him  ;  the  one,  to  keep  him  from 
new  sins;  the  other,  to  make  some  emendations  of 
the  old :  the  one,  to  fortify  him  against  special 
weaknesses  and  proper  temptations  of  that  estate  ; 
and  the  other,  to  trim  his  lamp,  that  by  excellent 
actions  he   may  adorn   his  spirit,   making    up   tlie 

'  Matt.  XXV.  i:{  and  x.\iv,  4-2  ;  Mark,  xiii.  33;  2  Pet.  iii.  II. 

»  TeeiiHi  prills  ergo  voluta  h.xc  animo  ante  tubas :  galo> 

ftluin  sero  (lue)li  pienitet.      Juvcii.   Sat.  1. 


312  OF    A    DUI     PREJ'ARATION 

omissions  of  his  life,  and  supplying  the  imperfec- 
tions of  his  estate,  that  his  soul  may  return  into  the 
hands  of  his  Creator  as  pure  as  it  can;  every  degree 
of  perfection  being  an  advantage  so  great,  as  that 
the  loss  of  every  the  least  portion  of  it  cannot  be  re- 
compensed with  all  the  good  of  this  world.  Con- 
cerning the  first,  the  temptations  proper  to  this 
estate  are  either  weakness  in  faith,  despair,  or  pre- 
sumption :  for  whatsoever  is  besides  these,  as  it  is 
the  common  infelicity  of  all  the  several  states  of 
life,  so  there  are  oftentimes  arguments  of  an  ill  con- 
dition, of  immortification  of  vicious  habits,  and 
that  becomes  not  to  this  combat  well  prepared ; 
such  as  are  covetousness,  unwillingness  to  make 
restitution,  remanent  aflfections  to  his  former  vices, 
an  unresigncd  spirit,  and  the  like. 

8.  In  the  ecclesiastical  story  we  find  many  dying 
persons  mentioned,  who  have  been  very  much  afflict- 
ed with  some  doubts  concerning  an  article  of  faith. 
St.  Gregory,  in  an  epistle  he  wrote  to  St.  Austin, 
instances  in  the  temptation  which  Eusebius  suf- 
fered vipon  his  death-bed.'  And  although  some- 
times the  devil  chooses  an  article  that  is  not 
proper  to  that  estate,  knowing  that  every  such 
doubt  is  well  enough  for  his  purpose,  because  of 
the  incapacity  of  the  person  to  suffer  long  disputes, 
and  of  the  jealousy  and  suspicion  of  a  dying  and 
weak  man,  fearing  lest  every  thing  should  cozen 
him ;  yet  it  is  commonly  instanced  in  the  article 
of  the  resurrection,  or  the  state  of  separation  or  re- 
union. And  it  seems  to  some  persons  incredible, 
that  from  a  bed  of  sickness,  a  state  of  misery,  a 
cloud   of   ignorance,    a  load    of  passions,  a    man 

'  De  prseccnio  S.  Hieron. 


»MR     DKATH.  313 

Bhoulcl  enter  into  the  condition  of  u  perfect  under- 
standinfj,  rrrcat  joy,  and  an  intellectual  life,  a  con- 
versalifin  wiih  ansjels,  a  fruition  of  God  ;  the 
change  is  "greater  than  his  reason  ;  and  his  failh 
being  in  cdu elusion  totterinji^  like  the  ark,  and 
ready  to  fall,  seems  a  pillar  as  unsafe  and  unable 
to  rely  on,  as  a  bank  of  turf  in  an  earthquake. 
Against  tiiis  a  general  remedy  is  prescribed  by 
spiritual  persons :  tliat  the  sick  man  should  appre- 
hend all  changes  of  persuasion  which  happened  to 
him  in  his  sickness,  contradictory  to  those  assents 
which  in  his  clearest  use  of  reason  he  had,  to  be 
temptations  and  arts  of  the  devil.  And  he  hath 
reason  so  to  think,  when  he  remembers  how  many 
comforts  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  what  joys  of  religion, 
what  support,  what  assistances,  what  strengths  he 
had  in  the  whole  course  of  his  former  life,  upon 
the  stock  of  faith,  and  interest  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christianity.  And  since  the  disbelieving  the 
promises  evangelical  at  that  time  can  have  no 
end  of  ailvantage,  and  that  all  wise  men  tell  him 
it  may  have  an  end  to  make  him  lose  the  title  to 
them,  and  do  him  infinite  disadvantage;  upon 
the  stock  of  interest  and  prudence  he  must  reject 
such  fears,  which  cannot  help  him,  but  may  ruin 
him.  For  all  the  works  of  grace  which  he  did 
upon  the  hopes  of  God,  and  the  stock  of  the  divine 
revelations,  (if  he  fails  in  his  hold  upon  them,) 
are  all  rendered  unprofitable.  And  it  is  certain, 
if  there  be  no  such  thing  as  immortality  and  resur- 
rection, he  shall  lose  nothing  for  believing  there 
is  ;  but  if  there  be,  they  are  lost  to  him  for  not  be- 
lieving it. 

9.  But  this  is  also  to  be  cured  by  proper  argu- 
ments.    And  there   is   no  Chri^^tinn   man   but  hath 


314  OF    A    DUE    PREPAUATION 

within  him,  and  carries  about  liim,  denionstrutions 
of  the  possibility,  and  great  instances  of  the  credi- 
bility of  those  great  changes,  which  these  tempted 
persons  have  no  reason  to  distrust,  but  because 
they  think  them  too  great  and  too  good  to  be  true. 
And  here,  not  only  the  consideration  oftlie  divine 
power  and  his  eternal  goodness  is  a  proper  anti- 
dote, but  also  the  observation  of  what  we  have 
already  received  from  God.  To  be  raised  from 
nothing  to  something  is  a  mutation  not  less  than 
infinite;  and  from  that  which  we  were  in  our  first 
conception  to  pass  into  so  perfect  and  curious  l)o- 
dies,  and  to  become  discursive,  sensible,  passionate, 
and  reasonable,  and  next  to  angels,  is  a  greater 
change,  than  from  this  state  to  pass  into  that  ex- 
cellency and  perfection  of  it  which  we  expect  as 
the  melioration  and  improvement  of  the  present. 
For  this  is  but  a  mutation  of  degrees,  that  of  sub- 
stance :  tliis  is  more  sensible,  because  we  have  per- 
ception in  both  states ;  that  is  of  greater  distance, 
because  in  the  first  term  we  were  so  far  distant 
from  what  we  are,  that  we  could  not  perceive  what 
then  we  were,  much  less  desire  to  be  what  we  now 
perceive;  and  yet  God  did  that  for  us  unasked, 
without  any  obligation  on  his  part,  or  merit  on 
ours;  much  rather  then  may  we  be  confident  of 
this  alteration  of  accidents  and  degrees,  because 
God  hath  obliged  himself  by  promise  ;  he  hath  dis- 
})osed  us  to  it  by  qualities,  actions,  and  habits, 
which  are  to  the  state  of  glory  as  infancy  is  to 
manhood,  as  elements  are  to  excellent  discourses, 
as  blossoms  are  to  ripe  fruits.  And  he  that  hath 
wrought  miracles  for  us,  preserved  us  in  dangers, 
done  strange  acts  of  providence,  sent  his  Son  to 
take  our  nature,   made  a  virgin  to  bear  a  son,  and 


FOR    DEATH.  Q\6 

God  to  become  man,  and  two  natures  to  be  one  in- 
dividual person,  and  all  in  order  to  this  end  of 
which  we  doubt,  hath  given  so  many  arguments  of 
credibility,  that  if  he  had  done  any  more,  it  would 
not  have  been   left  in  our  choice  to  believe  or  not 
believe;  and  then  much  of  the  excellency  of  our 
failli  would  have  been  lost.     Add  to  this,  that  we 
are  not  tempted  to  disbelieve  the  Roman  story,  or 
that  Virgil's  ^neids  were  writ  by  him,  or  that  we 
ourselves  are  descended  of  such  parents;  because 
these  things  are  not  only  transmitted  to  us  by  such 
testimony  which  we  have  no  reason  to  distrust,  but 
because  the  tempter  cannot  serve  any  ends  upon 
us  by  producing  such  doubts  in  us  :  and  therefore 
since  we  have  greater  testimony  for  every  article 
of  faith,  and  to   believe  it  is  of  so  much  concern- 
ment to  us,  we   may  well  suspect  it  to  be  an  arti- 
fice of  the  devil  to  rob  us  of  our  reward;  this  pro- 
ceeding of  his  beingof  the  same  nature  with  all  his 
other  temptations,  which  in  our  life-time,  like  fiery 
darts,  he  threw  into  our  face,  to  despoil  us  of  our  glo- 
ry, and  blot  out  the  image  of  God  imprinted  on  us. 
10.  Secondly,  If  the  devil  tempts  the  sick  person 
to  despair,  he  who  is  by  God  appointed  to  minister 
a  word  of  comfort,  must  fortify  his  spirit  with  con- 
sideration and   repiesentment  of  the  divine  good- 
ness, manifest  in  all  the  expresses  of  nature  and 
grace,  of    providence   and    revelation ;    that   God 
never  '  extinguishes  the  smoking  flax,  nor  breaks 
llie  l)ruisefl  reed  ;'  that  a  constant  and  a  hearty  en- 
deavour is  the  sacrifice   which   God   delights  in  ; 
that  in  the   firmament  of  heaven  there  are  little 
stars,  and  they  are  most  in  number,  and  there  are 
but  few  of  the  greatest   magnitude ;  that  there  are 
children  and  babes  in  Christ,  as  well  as  strong  men. 


■HC  OF    A     DUE    PREPARATfON 

and  among'st  these  there  are  great  difference;  that 
the  interruptions  of  the  state  of  grace  by  inter- 
vening crimes,  if  they  were  rescinded  by  repent- 
ance, there  were  great  danger  in  the  interval,  but 
served  as  increment  of  the  divine  glory,  and  argu- 
ments of  care  and  dilgence  to  us  at  the  restitution. 
These  and  many  more  are  then  to  be  urged,  when 
the  sick  person  is  in  danger  of  being  swallowed  up 
with  over-muc!i  sorrow  ;  and  therefore  to  be  in- 
sisted on  in  all  cases  as  the  physician  j^ives  him 
cordials,  that  we  may  do  charity  to  him  and  minis- 
ter comfort,  not  because  they  are  always  necessary, 
even  in  the  midst  of  great  sadnesses  and  discom- 
forts. For  we  are  to  secure  his  love  to  God,  that 
he  acknowledge  the  divine  mercy,  that  he  believe 
the  article  of  remission  of  sins,  that  he  be  thankfu/ 
to  God  for  the  blessings  which  already  he  hath 
received,  and  that  he  lay  all  the  load  of  his  discom- 
fort upon  himself,  and  his  own  incapacities  of 
mercy :  and  then  the  sadness  may  be  very  great, 
and  his  tears  clamorous,  and  his  heart  broken  all 
in  pieces,  and  his  humility  lower  than  the  earth, 
and  his  hope  indiscernible,  and  yet  no  danger  to 
his  final  condition.  Despair  reflects  upon  God, 
and  dishonours  the  infinity  of  his  mercy.  And  if 
the  sick  person  do  but  confess  that  God  is  not  at  all 
wanting  in  his  promises,  but  ever  abounding  in  his 
mercies,  and  that  it  is  want  of  the  condition  on  his 
own  part  that  makes  the  misery,  and  that  if  he  had 
done  his  duty,  God  would  save  him ;  let  him  be 
assisted  with  perpetual  prayers,  with  examples  of 
lapsed  and  returning  sinners,  whom  the  church 
celebrates  for  saints,  such  as  Mary  Magdalen,  Ma- 
ry of  Egypt,  Afra,  Thasis,  Pelagia;  let  it  be  often 
inculcated  to  him,  that  as  God's  mercv  is  of  itself 


Foil    DEAIH.  317 

infinite,  so  its  demonstration  to  us  is  not  deter- 
mined to  any  certain  period,  but  hath  such  lati- 
tudes in  it  and  reservations,  which  as  they  are  apt 
to  restrain  too  p;reat  boldness,  so  also  to  become 
sanctuaries  to  disconsolate  persons ;  let  hinj  be  in- 
vited to  throw  himself  upon  God  upon  these 
grounds,  that  he  who  is  our  Judge  is  also  our  Ad- 
vocate and  Redeemer,  that  he  knows  and  pities  our 
infirmities,  and  that  our  very  hoping  in  him  does 
endear  bini,  and  he  will  deliver  us  the  rather  for 
our  confidence,  when  it  is  balanced  with  reverence 
and  humility  :  and  then  all  these  supernumerary 
fears  are  advantageous  to  more  necessary  graces, 
and  do  more  secure  liis  final  condition  than  they 
can  disturb  it. 

II.  When  St.  Arsenius  was  near  his  death,  he 
was  observed  to  be  very  tremulous,  sad,  weeping, 
and  disconsolate.  The  standers-by  asked  tiie  rea- 
son of  his  fears,  wondering  that  he,  having  lived  in 
great  sanctity  for  many  years,  should  not  now  re- 
joice at  the  going  forth  of  his  prison.  The  good 
man  confessed  the  fear,  and  withal  said  it  was  no 
otiier  than  he  had  always  borne  about  wiih  him 
in  the  days  of  his  pilgrimage;  and  what  he 
then  thought  a  duty,  tliey  had  no  reason  now  to 
call  either  a  fault  or  a  misery.  Great  sorrows, 
fears,  and  dislrustings  of  a  man's  own  condi- 
tion, are  oftentimes  but  abatements  of  confi<lence, 
or  a  remission  of  joys  and  gaieties  of  spirit;  they 
are  Viut  like  salutary  clouds,  dark  and  fruitful  : 
and  if  the  tempted  person  be  strengthened  in  a 
love  of  God,  ihongli  lie  go  not  further  in  his  hopes 
tiian  to  believe  a  possibility  of  being  saved,  than  to 
say,  "  God  can  save  liim,  if  he  please,"  and  to 
pray  that  he  will  savj-  liim,  his  condition  is  a  state 


318  Ol"    A    DIE    I'RKPARATION 

ofgTJice:  it  is  like  a  root  in  the  ground,  trod  upon, 
humble,  and  safe,  not  so  fine  as  the  state  of  flow- 
ers; yet  that  which  will  spring  up  in  as  g-lorious  a 
resurrection  as  that  which  looks  fairer,  and  pleases 
the  sense,  and  is  indeed  a  blessing,  but  not  a 
duty. 

12.  But  there  is  a  state  of  death-bed  which 
seems  to  have  in  it  more  question,  and  to  be  of 
nicer  consideration  :  a  sick  person  after  a  vicious 
and  base  life.  And  if  upon  whatsoever  he  can  do, 
you  give  him  hopes  of  a  pardon,  where  is  your  pro- 
mise to  warrant  it  ?  If  you  do  not  give  him  hopes, 
do  you  not  drive  him  to  despair,  and  ascertain  his 
ruin,  to  verify  your  proposition  ?  To  this  I  answer, 
that  despair  is  opposed  to  hope,  and  hope  relies 
upon  the  divine  promises;  and  where  there  is  no 
promise,  there  the  despair  is  not  a  sin,  but  a  mere 
impossibility.  The  accursed  spirits,  which  are 
sealed  up  to  the  judgment  of  the  last  day,  can- 
not hope  ;  and  he  that  repents  not  cannot  hope 
for  pardon.  And  therefore  if  all  which  the  stale 
of  death-bed  can  produce  be  not  the  duty  of  re- 
pentance, which  is  required  of  necessity  to  pardon, 
it  is  not  in  such  a  person  properly  to  be  called 
despair,  any  more  than  it  is  blindness  in  a  stone 
that  it  cannot  see :  such  a  man  is  not  within  the 
capacities  of  pardon.  And  therefore  all  those  acts 
of  exterior  repentance,  and  all  his  sorrow  and  reso- 
lution and  tears  of  emendation,  and  other  prepara- 
tives to  interior  repentance,  are  like  oil  poured 
into  mortal  wounds ;  they  are  the  care  of  the  phy- 
sician, and  tliese  are  the  cautions  of  the  church, 
and  they  are  at  no  hand  to  be  neglected.  For  if 
they  do  not  alter  the  state,  they  may  lessen  the 
ju(fgment,  or  procure  a  temporal  blessing:  and  if 


Foil    DKATII.  'M9 

the  person  recover,  they  are  excellent  b;'^i'nning^s 
of  the  state  oro;r:ice;  and  if  they  lie  purified  in  a 
liappy  opportunity,  will  tjrow  up  into  glory. 

13.  But  if  it  he  demanded,  whether  in  such 
cases  the  curate  he  hound  to  give  absolution  ;  I 
can  give  no  other  answer  hut  this,  that  if  he  lie 
under  the  censure  of"  the  church,  the  laws  of  the 
rliurch  are  to  determine  the  particular:  and  I 
know  no  church  in  tlie  wor)<i  hut  uses  to  absolve 
death-l>e<l  penitents  upon  the  instances  of  those 
actions  of  which  their  present  condition  is  capable  ; 
ihough  in  the  primitive  ages  in  some  cases  they 
denied  it.  But  if  the  sick  person  be  under  no  po- 
sitive censure,  and  is  bound  only  by  the  guilt  ol 
habitual  vice,  if  he  desires  the  j)r:iyers  of  the 
church,  she  is  boujid  in  charity  to  grant  tht-m,  to 
pray  for  pardon  to  him,  and  all  other  graces  in 
order  to  salvation  :  and  if  she  absolves  the  peni- 
tent, towards  God  it  hath  no  other  efficacy  but  of  a 
solemn  j)rayer.  And  therefore  it  were  better  that  all 
the  charity  of  the  office  were  done  and  the  solem- 
nity omitted  ;  because  in  the  earnest  prayer  she 
co-operates  to  his  salvation  as  much  as  she  can  ; 
and  by  omitting  the  solemnity  distinguishes  evil 
livers  fmm  holy  persons,  and  walks  securely,  whilst 
bhe  refuses  to  declare  him  pardoned  whom  God 
hath  not  declared  to  be  so.'  And  possibly  that 
form  of  absolution  which  the  churches  of  the  west 
now  use,  being  indicative,  and  declaratory  of"  u 
))resent  pardon,  is  for  the  very  form  sake  not  to  i)e 

'  Pumitentia  (jujc  ab  intirnn)  i>ctitiir,  infirma  est ;  pnpnitentia 
qua;  a  mnrierjte  lantum  petitur,  tinieo  ne  et  ipsa  nioriatiir  S 
Aug.  Serm.  tie  tcnp.  \'i(le  cmnl.  lib.  1.  honiil.  41. — "  the 
penitence  of  the  intirin  is  inKrni ;  and  the  penitence  of  tha 
dying  U,  I  fc;iT,  like  to  die." 


320  OF    A    OLE    ratPARATION 

used  to  deatli  bed  penitents  uCler  a  vicious  liTe: 
because  if  any  thing  more  be  intended  in  the  form 
than  a  prayer,  the  trutli  of  the  affirmation  may  be 
questioned ;  and  an  ecclesiastical  person  hath  no 
authority  to  say  to  such  a  man,  "  I  absolve  thee ;" 
but  if  no  more  be  intended  but  a  prayer,  it  is  better 
to  use  a  mere  prayer  and  common  form  of  address, 
than  such  words  which  may  countenance  unse- 
cure  confidences,  evil  purposes,  and  worse  lives. 

14.  Thirdly,  If  the  devil  tempts  a  sick  person, 
who  hath  lived  well,  to  presumption,  and  that  he 
seems  full  of  confidence  and  without  trouble;  the 
care  that  is  thtn  to  be  taken  is  to  consider  the 
disease,  and  to  state  the  question  right.  For  at 
some  instants  and  periods  God  visits  the  spirit  of 
a  man,  and  sends  the  imission  of  a  bright  ray  into 
him  ;  and  some  good  men  have  been  so  used  to 
apprehensions  of  the  divine  mercy,  that  they  have 
an  habitual  cheerfulnsss  of  spirit  and  hopes  of  sal- 
vation. St.  Jerome  reports  that  Hilarion,  in  a 
death-bed  agony,  felt  some  tremblings  of  heart,  till 
reflecting  upon  his  course  of  life,  he  found  comforts 
springing  from  thence  by  a  proper  emanation,  and 
departed  cheerfully;'  and  Hezekiah  represented  to 
God  in  prayer  the  integrity  of  his  life,  and  made  it 
the  instrument  of  his  hope.  And  nothing  of  this 
is  to  be  called  presumption,  provided  it  be  in 
persons  of  eminent  sanctity  and  great  experience, 
old  disciples  and  the  more  perfect  Christians.  But 
because  such  persons  are  but  seldom  and  rare,  if 
the  same  confidence  be  observed  in  persons  of  coni- 

'  Egredere,  anhna,  quid  times?  septuag'iita  prope  annis 
ficrviisti  Christo,  et  jiim  moritimes  ?  S.  Hier.  in  Vita  Hilar — 
♦'  Why,  O  soul,  dost  thou  fear  to  depart  ?  Hast  thou  served 
Christ  for  seventy  years,  and  yet  fear  to  die  ?" 


F.IK    DUATH.  321 

mon  impciTiclion  and  an  ordinary  life,  it  is  to  be 
corrected  and  allayed  with  consideralioii  of  the 
divine  severity  and  justice,  anfl  with  tlie  strict 
recjuisites  of  a  holy  life,  with  the  deceit  of  a  man's 
own  heart,  witli  consideration  and  general  remem- 
brances of  secret  sins,  and  that  the  most  perfect 
state  of  life  hath  very  great  needs  of  mercy,  and 
'  if  the  rii^hteous  scarcely  be  saved,  v>here  shall 
the  ijn<:^()dly  and  tiie  sinner  appear?''  And  the 
s|)iril  of  liie  man  is  to  be  promoted  and  helped  in 
the  increase  of  contrition,  as  being  the  proper  dele- 
tery  to  cure  the  extravagancies  of  a  fro  ward  and 
intemperate  si)irit. 

15.  But  there  is  a  presumption  commenced  upon 
opinion,  relyiniJ^  either  upon  a  persuasion  ofsinj^le 
predestination,  or  else  (which  is  worse)  upon  ima- 
ginary securities,  that  heaven  is  to  be  purchased 
upon  conditions  easier  than  a  day's  labour,  and  that 
un  evil  life  may  be  reconciled  to  heaven  by  the  in- 
tervening of  little  or  single  acts  of  piety  or  repent- 
ance. If  either  of  them  both  have  actually  pro- 
duced ill  life,  to  which  they  are  apt,  or  apt  to  be 
abused,  the  persons  are  miserable  in  their  condi- 
tion, and  cannot  be  absolutely  remedied  by  going 
about  to  cure  the  presumption ;  that  was  the  cause 
of  all,  but  now  it  is  the  least  thing  to  be  consi- 
dered. His  whole  state  is  corrupted  ;  and  men  will 
not  by  any  discourses  or  spiritual  arts  used  on 
their  deathbeds  be  put  into  a  state  of  grace; 
because  then  is  no  time  to  change  the  state,  and 
there  is  no  mutation  then  but  by  single  actions. 
From  good  to  better  a  dying  man  may  proceed,  but 

'  Vac  vitac  etiani  laudablli,  si  sine  niisericordia  discutias  earn. 
S.  Aug.  lib.  ix.  (  onfcss. — "Woe  to  the  lest  lite,  if  judged 
without  mercy." 

VOL.     II.  Ij 


922  OF    A    DL'E    JMU:i'ARATiON 

not  from  the  state  of  reprobation  to  the  life  of  grace. 
And  yet  it  is  good  charity  to  unlose  the  bonds  of 
Satan,  whereby  the  man  is  bound  and  led  captive 
at  his  will,  to  take  off  the  presumption  by  destroyini; 
the  cause  ;  and  then  let  the  vvork  of  grace  be  set  as 
forward  as  it  can,  and  leave  the  event  to  God  ;  for 
nothing  else  is  left  possible  to  be  done.  But  if  the 
sick  man  be  of  a  good  life,  and  yet  have  a  degree 
of  confidence  beyond  his  virtue,  upon  the  fancy  of 
predestination,  it  is  not  then  a  time  to  rescind  his 
opinion  by  a  direct  opposition,  but  let  him  be 
drawn  ofi"  from  the  consideration  of  it,  by  such 
discourses  as  are  apt  to  make  him  humble  and  pe- 
nitent ;  for  they  are  the  most  apt  instruments  to 
secure  the  condition  of  the  man,  and  attemper  his 
spirit.  These  are  the  great  temptations  incident  to 
the  last  scene  of  our  lives ;  and  are  therefore  more 
particularly  suggested  by  the  tempter,  because  they 
have  in  them  something  contrary  to  the  universal 
effect  of  a  holy  life,  and  are  designs  to  interpose 
between  the  end  of  the  journey  and  the  reception 
of  the  crown.  And  therefore  it  concerns  every 
man  who  is  in  a  capacity  of  '  receiving  the  end  of 
his  faith,  the  salvation  of  his  soul,'  to  lay  up  in  the 
course  of  his  life,  something  against  this  great  day 
of  expense,  that  he  may  be  better  fortified  with  the 
armour  of  the  Spirit  against  these  last  assaults  of 
the  devil,  that  he  may  not  shipwreck  in  the  liaven. 
Ifi,  Eschewing  evil  is  but  the  one  half  of  our 
work,  we  must  also  do  good.  And  now,  in  the  few 
remanent  days  or  hours  of  our  life,  there  are  certain 
exercises  of  religion  which  have  a  special  relation 
to  this  state,  and  are  therefore  of  great  concern- 
ment to  be  done,  that  we  may  make  our  condition 
ns  certain  as   wo   can,   and   our  portion   of  glory 


FOR    DEATH.  323 

greater,  and  our  pardon  surer,  and  our  love  to 
increase,  and  that  our  former  omissions  and 
breaches  be  repaired,  with  a  condition  in  some 
measure  proportionable  to  those  p^reat  hopes  whicii 
we  then  are  going  to  possess.  And  first,  let  the 
sick  person,  in  the  beginning  of  his  sickness,  and 
in  every  change  and  great  accident  of  it,  make  ads 
of  resignation  to  God,  and  entirely  submit  himsell 
to  the  divine  will ;  remembering,  that  sickness  may, 
to  men  properly  disposed,  do  the  work  of  God, 
and  produce  the  effect  of  the  Spirit,  and  promote 
the  interest  of  his  soul,  as  well  as  health,  and  often- 
times better;  as  being  in  itself  and  by  the  grace  ol 
God  apt  to  make  us  confess  our  own  impotency 
and  dependencies,  and  to  understand  our  needs  of 
mercy,  and  the  continual  influences  and  supports 
of  heaven  ;  to  withdraw  our  appetites  from  things 
below,  to  correct  the  vanities  and  insolencies  of  an 
impertinent  spirit,  to  abate  the  extravagancies  of 
the  flesh,  to  put  our  carnal  lusts  into  fetters  and 
disability,  to  remember  us  of  our  state  of  pilgri- 
mage, that  this  is  our  way,  and  our  stage  of  trouble 
and  banishment,  and  that  heaven  is  our  country  ; 
for  so  sickness  is  the  trial  of  our  patience,  a  fire  to 
purge  us,  an  instructor  to  teach  us,  a  bridle  to 
restrain  us,  and  a  state  inferring  great  necessities 
of  union  and  adhesions  unto  God.  And  as  upon 
these  grounds  we  have  the  same  reason  to  accept 
sickness  at  the  hands  of  God,  as  to  receive  pliysic 
from  a  physician  ;  so  it  is  argument  of  excellent 
grace  to  give  God  hearty  thanks  in  our  disease, 
and  to  accept  it  cheerfully,  and  with  spiritual  joy 
17.  Some  persons  create  to  themselves  excuses 
of  discontent,  and  quarrel  not  with  the  pain,  but 
the  ill  consequents  of  sickness.      It   makes  them 


324  OF    A    DUE    PREPARATION 

troublesome  to  their  friends ;  and  consider  not  that 
their  friends  are  bound  to  accept  the  trouble,  as 
themselves  to  accept  the  sickness  ;  that  to  tend  the 
sick  is  at  that  time  allotted  for  the  portion  of  their 
work,  and  that  charity  receives  it  as  a  duty,  and 
makes  that  duty  to  be  a  pleasure.  And  however, 
if  our  friends  account  us  as  a  burden,  let  us  also 
accept  that  circumstance  of  affliction  to  ourselves 
with  the  same  resig'nation  and  indifferency  as  we 
entertain  its  occasion,  the  sickness  itself;  and  pray 
to  God  to  enkindle  a  flame  of  charity  in  their 
breasts,  and  to  make  them  compensation  for  the 
charge  and  trouble  we  put  them  to ;  and  then  the 
care  is  at  an  end.  But  others  excuse  their  discon- 
tent with  a  more  religious  colour,  and  call  the 
disease  their  trouble  and  affliction,  because  it  im- 
pedes their  other  parts  of  duty;  they  cannot  preach, 
or  study,  or  do  exterior  assistances  of  charity  and 
alms,  or  acts  of  repentance  and  mortification. 
But  it  were  well  if  we  could  let  God  propor- 
tion out  our  work,  and  set  our  task ;  let  him 
choose  what  virtues  we  shall  especially  exercise; 
and  when  the  will  of  God  determines  us,  it  is 
more  excellent  to  endure  afflictions  with  patience, 
equanimity,  and  thankfulness,  than  to  do  actions 
of  the  most  pompous  religion,  and  laborious  or 
expensive  charity  :  not  only  because  there  is 
a  deliciousness  in  actions  of  religion  and  choice, 
which  is  more  agreeable  to  our  spirit  than  the  toler- 
ation of  sickness  can  be,  which  bath  great  reward, 
but  no  present  pleasure;  but  also  because  our  suf- 
fering and  our  employment  is  consecrated  to  us 
when  God  chooses  it,  and  then  there  is  no  mixture 
of  imperfection  or  secular  interest,  as  there  may  be 
in  other  actions  even  of  an  excellejit  religion,  when 


Fon    DEATH.  335 

ourselves  are  the  choosers.  And  let  us  also  remem- 
ber, that  God  halli  not  so  much  need  of  thy  works 
as  thou  hast  of  patience,  humility,  and  resi<jnation. 
St.  Paul  was  a  far  more  considerable  person  than 
thou  canst  be,  and  yet  it  pleased  God  to  shut  him 
in  prison  for  two  years ;  and  in  that  interval  God 
secured  and  promoted  the  work  of  the  gospel  : 
and,  although  Epaphroditus  was  an  excellent  mi- 
nister, yet  God  laid  a  sickness  upon  him,  and  even 
in  his  disease  gave  him  work  enough  to  do,  though 
not  of  his  own  choosing.  And  therefore  fear  it  not 
but  the  ends  of  religion  or  duty  will  well  enough 
proceed  without  thy  health ;  and  thy  own  eternal 
interest,  when  God  so  pleases,  shall  better  be  served 
by  sickness,  and  the  virtues  which  it  occasions, 
than  by  the  opportunities  of  health,  and  an  ambu- 
latory, active  charity. 

18.  When  tiiou  art  resigned  to  God,  use  fair  and 
appointed  means  for  thy  recovery.  Trust  not  in 
thy  spirit  upon  any  instrument  of  health  :  as  thou 
art  willing  to  be  disposed  by  God,  so  look  not  for 
any  event  upon  the  stock  of  any  other  cause  or 
principle.  Be  ruled  by  the  pliysician  and  the  peo- 
ple appointed  to  tend  thee  ;  that  thou  neither  be- 
come troublesome  to  them,  nor  give  any  sign  of 
impatience  or  a  peevish  spirit.  But  this  advice 
only  means,  that  thou  do  not  disobey  them  out  of 
any  evil  principle:  and  yet,  if  reason  be  thy  guide 
to  choose  any  other  aid,  or  follow  any  other  couii- 
sel,  use  it  temperately,  prudently,  and  charitably. 
It  is  not  intended  lor  a  duty,  that  thou  shouldst 
drink  oil  instead  of  wine,  if  thy  minister  reach  it 
to  thee,  as  did  St.  Bernard  ;  nor  that  thou  siiouldst 
accej)t  a  cake  tempered  with  linseed-oil  instead  of 


326  OF    A    DL'E    PREPAHATIOV 

oil  of  olives,  as  did  F.  Steplien,  mentioned  by  Ruffi- 
nus  :  but  that  thou  tolerate  the  defects  of  thy  ser- 
vants, and  accept  the  evil  accidents  of  thy  disease, 
or  the  unsuccessfulness  of  thy  physician's  care,  as 
descending  on  thee  from  the  hands  of  God.  Asa 
was  noted  in  Scripture,  that  in  '  his  sickness  he 
sought  not  to  the  Lord,  but  to  the  physicians." 
Lewis  the  XI.  of  France  was  then  the  miserablest 
person  in  his  kingdom,  when  he  made  himself 
their  servant,  courting  them  with  great  pensions 
and  rewards;  attending  to  their  rules  as  oracles, 
and  from  their  mouths  waited  for  the  sentence  of 
life  or  death.  We  are,  in  these  great  accidents, 
especially  to  look  upon  God  as  the  disposer  of  the 
events,  which  he  very  often  disposes  contrary  to 
the  expectation  we  may  have  of  probable  causes : 
and  sometimes  without  physic  we  recover,  and 
with  physic  and  excellent  applications  we  grow 
worse  and  worse  ;  and  God  it  is  that  makes  the  re- 
medies unprosperous.  In  all  these  and  all  other 
accidents,  if  we  take  care  that  the  sickness  of  the 
body  derive  not  itself  into  the  soul,  nor  the  pains 
of  one  procure  impatience  of  the  other,  we  shall 
alleviate  the  burden,  and  make  it  supportable  and 
j>rofitable :  and  certain  it  is,  if  men  knew  well  to 
bear  tlieir  sicknesses  humbly  towards  God,  charit- 
ably towards  their  ministers,  and  cheerfully  in  them- 
selves, there  were  no  greater  advantage  in  the  world 
to  be  received  than  upon  a  sick  bed  ;  and  that  alone 
hath  in  it  the  benefits  of  a  church,  of  a  religious  as- 
sembly, of  the  works  of  charity  and  labour:  and 
since  our  soul's  eternal  well-being  depends  upon  the 

'  2  Chron.  xvi.  12. 


FOR  ui  ATH.  :J27 

charities  and  [trovidence  and  veracity  of  God,  and 
we  have  nothinp^  to  show  for  it  but  his  word  and 
goodness,  and  tliat  is  infinitely  enough  ;  it  is  but 
reason  we  be  not  more  nice  and  scrupulous  about 
the  usage  antl  accommodation  of  our  body.  If  we 
accept,  at  God's  hands,  sadness  and  dryness  of  aft'ec- 
tion  and  spiritual  desertion  patiently  and  with  in- 
difterency,  it  is  unliandsome  to  express  ourselves 
less  satisfied  in  the  accidents  about  our  body. 

19.  But  if  the  sickness  proceed  to  death,  it  is  a 
new  charge  upon  our  spirits,  and  God  calls  for  a 
final  and  entire  resignation  into  his  hands.  And 
to  a  person  who  was  of  humble  affections,  and  in 
his  life-time  of  a  mortified  spirit,  accustomed  to 
bear  the  yoke  of  the  Lord,  this  is  easy  ;  because  he 
looks  upon  death  not  only  as  the  certain  condition 
of  nature,  but  as  a  necessary  transition  to  a  state  of 
blessedness,'  as  the  determination  of  his  sickness, 
the  period  of  human  infelicities,  the  last  change  of 
condition,  the  beginning  of  a  new,  strange,  and  ex- 
cellent life,  a  security  against  sin,  a  freedom  from 
the  importunities  of  a  tempter,  from  the  tyrannies 
of  an  imperial  lust,  from  the  rebellion  of  concupis- 
cence, from  the  disturbances  and  tempests  of  tiie 
irascible  faculty,  and  from  the  fondness  and  child- 
ishness of  tiie  concupiscible  ;  and  St.  Ambrose 
says  well,  "  the  troubles  of  this  life  and  the  dangers 
are  so  many,  that  in  respect  of  them  deatli  is  a  re- 
medy, and  a  fair,  proper  object  of  desires."  And 
we  find   that  many  saints  liave  pniyed   for   dealli, 

•  SojiIZhv  fih-  ytip  hi  roi'  iv^dct  (iiov  oiQ  av  aK^u'iv 
Ki'Ofih-wT  th'di.  rhr  (*f  ^avnrov  yivoriv  tt^  rov  orrwc  fHov  li, 
rov  ivcniinna  r<iT(;  tpiXorrnlit'ttrnffi.-"  In  this  life  we  are  but  in 
the  womb  of  existence.  Death,  to  the  wise  man,  is  a  being  in- 
deed bom  to  life  and  happiness." 


328  or    A    DIE    PREPARATION 

that  they  might  not. see  the  persecutions  and  great 
miseries  incumbent  upon  the  church  :  and  if  the 
desire  be  not  out  of  impatience,  but  of  charity, 
and  with  resignation,  there  is  no  reason  to  reprove 
it.  Elias  prayed  that  God  would  take  his  life,  that 
he  might  not  see  the  evils  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel, 
and  their  vexatious  intendments  against  the  pro- 
phets of  the  Lord.'  And  St.  Austin,  upon  the  in- 
cursion of  the  Vandals  into  Africa,  called  his  clergy 
together,  and  at  their  chapter  told  them,  "  he  had 
prayed  to  God  either  to  deliver  bis  people  from  the 
present  calamity,  or  grant  them  patience  to  be.ir  it, 
or  that  he  would  take  him  out  of  the  world,  that 
he  might  not  see  the  miseries  of  his  diocess;"' 
adding,  that  God  had  granted  him  the  last :  and 
he  presently  fell  sick,  and  died  in  the  siege  of  his 
own  Hippo.  And  if  death  in  many  cases  be  de- 
sirable, and  for  many  reasons,  it  is  ahvays  to  be 
submitted  to,  when  God  calls.  And  as  it  is  always 
a  misery  to  fear  death,  so  it  is  very  often  a  sin,  or 
the  effect  of  sin.  If  our  love  to  the  world  hath 
fastened  our  affections  here,  it  is  a  direct  sin  ;  and 
this  is  by  the  son  of  Sirach  noted  to  be  the  case  of 
rich  and  great  personages :  *  How  bitter,  O  death, 
is  thy  remembrance  to  a  man  that  is  at  rest  in  his 
possessions!'^  But  if  it  be  a  fear  to  perish  in  the 
ruins  of  eternity,  they  are  not  to  blame  for  fearing, 
but  that  their  own  ill  lives  have  procured  the  fear. 
And  yet  there  are  persons  in  the  state  of  grace, 
who  yet,  because  they  are  in  great  imperfection, 
have  such  lawful  fears  of  death,  and  of  entering 
upon  an  uncertain  sentence,  which  must  stand 
eternally  irreversible,  be  it  good  or  bad,  that  tliev 

'  1  Kings,  xix.  4.  -  In  Vita  S,  .4ug   c.  16. 

^  Eccliis.  xli.  I. 


FoK    DEATH.  329 

may    willi    piety   and    care   enough   pray  David's 
prayer:  'O  spare  me  a  little,  that  I  may  recover 
my  strt'njjtii,  before  I   go  hence  and  be  no  more 
Seen.'     But  in   this  and    in   all  other  cases  death 
must  be  accepted  without  murmur,  though  without 
fear  it  cannot.     A  man  may  pray  to  be  delivered 
from  it;  and  yet,  if  God  will  not  grant  it,  he  nuis-t 
not  go  as  one  hailed  to  execution.     But  if  with  all 
his  imperfect    fears    he  shall  throw   himself  upon 
God,  and  accept  his  sentence  as  righteous,  whether 
it  speak  life  or  death  ;  it  is  an  act  of  so  great  ex- 
cellency, that   it  may  equal   the   good   actions  of 
many  succeeding  and  surviving  days.    And  perad- 
venture  a  longer  life  will  be  yet  more  imperfect, 
and  God  therefore  puts  a  period  to  it,  that  thou 
mayest  be  taken   into   a  condition   more  certain, 
tliouiih  less  eminent.     However,  let  not  the  fears  of 
nature,  or  the  fear  of  reason,  or  the  fears  of  humi- 
lity, become  accidentally  criminal,  by  a  murmur 
or   a   pertinacious   contesting    against   the   event, 
which  we  cannot  hinder,  but  ought  to  accept  by 
an   election    secondary,  rational,   and    pious;  and 
upon  supposition  that  God  will  not  alter  the  sen- 
tence passed   upon   thy  temporal  life:  always  re- 
membering,  that   in    Christian    philosophy    death 
hath   in  it  an   excellency  of  which  the  angels  are 
not  capable  :   for  by  the  necessity  of  our  nature  we 
are  made  capable  of  dying  for  tlie  lioly  Jesus;  and 
next  to  the  privilege  of  that  act,  is  our  willing- 
ness to  die  at  his  command  :  which  turns  necessity 
into   virtue,   and  nature  into  grace,  and  grace  to 
glory. 

'20.  When  the  sick  person  is  thus  disposed,  let 
him  begin  to  trim  his  wedding-garment,  and  dress 
his  lamp  with  the  repetition  of  acts  of  repentance, 
perpetually  praying  to  God  for  pardon  of  his  sin». 


330  oP    A    DLJi    l'1U:i'Alt  \TION 

representing  to  himself  tlie  horror  of  them,  the 
multitude,  the  obliquity,  being  helped  by  argu- 
ments apt  to  excite  contrition,  by  repetition  of  pe- 
nitential psalms  and  holy  prayers.  And  he  may, 
by  accepting  and  humbly  receiving  his  sickness  at 
God's  hand,  transmit  it  into  the  condition  of  an 
act  or  effect  of  repentance  ;  acknowledging  himsel! 
by  sin  to  have  deserved  and  procured  it,  and  pray- 
ing that  the  punishment  of  his  crimes  may  be  here, 
and  not  reserved  for  the  state  of  separation,  and 
for  ever. 

21.  But  above  all  single  acts  of  this  exercise,  we 
are  concerned  to  see  that  nothing  of  other  men's 
goods  stick  to  us,  but  let  us  shake  it  off  as  we 
would  a  burning  coal  from  our  flesh  ;  for  it  will 
destroy  us,  it  will  carry  a  curse  with  us,  and 
leave  a  curse  behind  us.  Those  who  by  thy  means 
or  importunity  have  become  vicious,  exhort  to 
repentance  and  holy  life  ;  those  whom  thou  hast 
cozened  into  crimes,  restore  to  a  right  understand- 
ing ;  those  wlio  are  by  violence  and  interest  led 
captive  by  thee  to  any  undecency,  restore  to  their 
liberty,  and  encourage  to  the  prosecution  of  holi- 
ness.' Discover  and  confess  thy  fraud  and  unlaw- 
ful arts,  cease  thy  violence,  and  give  as  many  ad- 
vantages to  virtue  as  thou  hast  done  to  viciousness. 
Make  recompense  for  bodily  wrongs,  such  as  are 
wounds,  dismemberings,  and  other  disabilities. 
Restore  every  man  (as  much  as  thou  canst)  to  that 
good  condition  from  which  thou  hast  removed 
him  :  restore  his  fame,  give  back  his  goods,  return 
the  pawn,  release  forfeitures,  and  take  off  all  unjust 

'  Deteri(.res  sunt  qui  vitam  moresque  bonorum  corrumpunt, 
his  qui  substantias  et  praedia  diripiunt.  S.  Gregory. — "They 
vho  cornjpt  snc'ety  and  in.inners,  are  worse  than  they  who  seise 
our  property." 


roil    UIAIM.  :V.\[ 

Invnsionsorsurprisesof  Ilis  estate,  pay  debts;  satisfy 
for  thy  fraud  and  injustice  as  fur  as  tliou  canst,  and 
AS  thou  canst,  and  as  soon  ;  or  this  alone  is  \vei«jht 
enoujih,  no  less  than  a  mill-stone  about  thy  neck. 
But  if  the  dying  man  be  of  God,  and  in  the  state  of 
grace,  that  is,  if  have  lived  a  holy  life,  repented 
seasonably7and  have  led  a  just,  sober,  and  religious 
conversation  in  any  acceptable  degree,  it  is  to  be 
supposed  he  hath  no  great  account  to  make  for  un- 
pretended  injuries  and  unjust  detentions  :  for  if  he 
had  detained  thegoodsof  his  neighbour  fraudulently 
or  violently  without  amends,  when  it  is  in  his  power 
and  opportunity  to  restore,  he  is  not  the  man  we 
suppose  him  in  this  present  question.  And  al- 
though in  all  cases  he  is  bound  to  restore  according 
to  his  ability,  yet  the  act  is  less  excellent  when  it  is 
compelled  ;  and  so  it  seems  to  be,  if  he  liave  con- 
tinued the  injustice  till  he  is  forced  to  quit  the 
purchase.  However,  if  it  be  not  done  till  then,  let 
it  be  provided  for  then.  And  that  I  press  this 
duly  to  pious  persons  at  this  time,  is  only  to  oblige 
them  to  a  diligent  scrutiny  concerning  the  lesser 
omissions  of  this  duty,  in  the  matter  of  fume,  or 
lesser  debts,  or  spiritual  restitution  ;  or  that  those 
unevennesses  of  account  which  were  but  of  lute 
transaction  may  now  be  regulated  ;  and  that  what- 
soever is  undone  in  this  matter,  from  what  prin- 
ciple soever  it  proceeds,  whether  of  sin,  or  only  of 
forgetfulness,  or  of  imperfection,  may  now  be  made 
as  exact  as  we  can,  and  are  obliged  ;  and  that  those 
(!xcuses  which  made  it  reasonable  and  lawful  to  de- 
fer restitution,  as  want  of  opportunity,  clearness  of 
ability,  and  accidental  inconvenience,  be  now  laid 
aside,  and  the  action  be  done  or  provided  for  in 
the  midst  of  all  objections  and  incon\enient  cir- 


Xi'2  UK    A     DLi-     ritr  PARA  I  loN 

ciimstances,  rather  than  to  omit  it,   and  hazard  to 
perform  it. 

22.  Hither  also  I  reckon  resolutions  and  forward 
purposes  of  emendation  and  greater  severity,  in 
case  God  return  to  us  hopes  of  life  :  which  there- 
fore must  be  re-enforced,  that  we  may  serve  the 
ends  of  God,  and  understand  all  his  purposes,  and 
make  use  of  every  opportunity:  every  sickness  laid 
upon  us  being  with  a  design  of  drawing  us  nearer 
to  God ;  and  even  holy  purposes  are  good  actions 
of  the  spirit,  and  principles  of  religion.  And 
though  alone  they  cannot  do  the  work  of  grace,  or 
change  the  state,  when  they  are  ineffectual ;  that  is, 
wlien  either  we  will  not  bring  them  into  act,  or  that 
God  will  not  let  us ;  yet  to  a  man  already  in  the 
state  of  grace  they  are  the  additions  of  something 
good,  and  are  like  blowing  of  coals,  which  although 
it  can  put  no  life  into  a  dead  coal,  yet  it  makes  a 
live  coal  shine  brighter,  and  burn  clearer,  and  adds 
to  it  some  accidental  degrees  of  heat. 

23.  Having  thus  disposed  himself  to  the  peace 
of  God,  let  him  make  peace  with  all  those  in  whom 
lie  knows  or  suspects  any  minutes  of  anger,  or 
malice,  or  displeasure  towards  him  ;  submitting 
himself  to  them  with  humility  whom  he  unworthily 
halli  displeased,  asking  pardon  to  them  who  say 
they  are  displeased,  and  offering  j^ardon  to  them 
that  have  displeased  him  :  and  then  let  him  crave 
the  peace  of  holy  church.  For  it  is  all  this  while 
to  be  supposed  that  he  hath  used  the  assistance  and 
prayers,  the  counsel  and  the  advices  of  a  spiritual 
man,  and  that  to  this  purpose  he  hath  opened  to  iiim 
the  state  of  his  whole  life,  and  made  him  to  un»ier- 
htand  what  emenchilions  of  his  faults  he  hath  made, 
what  acts  of  repentance  he  lialh  done,  how   lived 


r«>R   l)E^TH.  ^33 

after  liis  fiill  aiul  repaialion,  an«l  lliat  he  lialli  sul)- 
niittetl  all  ihat  be  ilid  or  undid  to  the  discerning  of 
u  holy  man,  whose  office  it  is  to  guide  his  soul  in 
this  agony  and  last  offices.  All  men  cannot  have 
the  blessing  of  a  wise  and  learned  minister,  and 
some  die  where  they  can  have  none  at  all  ;  yet 
it  were  a  safer  course  to  do  as  much  of  this  as  we 
can,  and  to  a  competent  person,  if  we  can  ;  if  we 
cannot,  then  to  the  best  we  have,  according  as  we 
judge  it  to  be  of  spiritual  advantage  to  us  :  for  in 
this  conjuncture  of  accidents  it  concerns  us  to  be 
sure,  if  we  may,  and  not  to  be  deceived,  where  we 
can  avoid  it ;  because  we  shall  never  return  to  life 
to  do  this  work  again.  And  if  after  this  inter- 
course with  a  sj)iritual  guide,  we  be  reconciled  by 
the  solemn  prayer  of  the  church,  the  prayer  of  ab- 
solution, it  will  be  of  great  advantage  to  us:  we 
depart  with  our  Father's  blessing,  we  die  in  the  ac- 
tual communion  of  the  church,  we  hear  the  sen- 
tence of  God  applied  after  the  manner  of  men,  and 
the  promise  of  pardon  made  circumstantiate,  mate- 
ri.il,  present,  and  operative  upon  our  spirits,  and 
have  our  portion  of  tlie  promise  which  is  recorded 
by  St.  James,  that  '  if  the  elders  of  the  church 
pray  over  a  sick  person'  fervently  and  effectually, 
(add  solemnly,)  '  his  sins  shall  be  forgiven  him  ;' 
that  is,  supposing  him  to  be  in  a  capacity  to  re- 
ceive it ;)  because  such  prayers  of  such  a  man  '  are 
very  prevalent.' ' 

24.  All  this  is,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  •  washing  the 
hands  in  innocency ;'  and  then  let  him  '  go  to  the 
altar,'  Let  him  not,  for  any  excuse  less  than  im- 
possibility, omit  to    receive   the  holy    sacrament ; 

>  Jam.  V.  14,  IS. 


334  OF    A    OLE    rUFPARATiON 

which  tlie  fathers,  assembled  in  the  great  Nicene 
council,  have  taught  all  the  Christian  world  to  call 
"  the  most  necessary  provisions  for  our  last  jour- 
ney;"' which  is  the  memory  of  that  death  by  which 
we  hope  for  life;  which  is  the  seed  of  immortality 
and  resurrection  of  our  bodies;  which  unites  oui 
spirit  to  Christ;  which  is  a  great  defensutive  against 
the  hostilities  of  the  devil;  which  is  the  most  so- 
lenm  prayer  of  the  church,  united  and  made  ac- 
ceptable by  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  which  is  then 
represented  and  exhibited  to  God ;  which  is  the 
great  instrument  of  spiritual  increase  and  the 
growth  of  grace ;  which  is  duty  and  reward,  food 
and  physic,  health  and  pleasure,  deletery  and  cor- 
dial, prayer  and  thanksgiving,  an  union  of  myste- 
ries, the  marriage  of  the  soul,  and  the  perfection  of 
all  the  rites  of  Christianity.  Dying  with  the  holy  sa- 
crament in  us,  is  a  going  to  God  with  Christ  in  our 
arms,  and  interposing  him  between  us  and  his  an- 
gry sentence.  But  then  we  must  be  sure  that  we 
have  done  all  the  duty,  without  which  we  cannot 
communicate  worthily.  For  else  Satan  comes  in  the 
place  ofChrist,  and  it  is  a  horror  not  less  than  in- 
finite to  appear  before  God's  tribunal,  possessed  in 
our  souls  with  the  spirit  of  darkness.  True  it  is,  that, 
by  many  laws  of  the  churcli,  the  bishop  and  the 
minister  are  bound  to  give  the  holy  eucharist  to 
every  person  who  in  the  article  or  apparent  danger 
of  death  desires  it,  provided  that  he  hath  submitted 
himself  to  the  imposition  and  counselsof  the  bishop 
or  guide  of  his  soul,  that,  in  case  he  recovers,  he 
may  be  brouglit  to  the  peace  of  God  and  his  church, 

'  Tlepi   ^t  Twv  i^ocivovTwv  6   TraXaicot,'  K)  KuvoviKog    vojioi; 
dvayKnioraTH  i(t>o^iii  fii)  c'nro'Tipt'irrOai     Cone.  Nicen.  can.  13. 


U    DEATH.  336 

by  such  steps  and  def!;ree!»  of  repentance  by  which 
other  public  sinners  are  reconciled.  But  to  this 
gentleness  of  discipline  and  easiness  of  admi- 
nistration, those  excellent  persons  who  made  the 
canons  thought  themselves  compelled  by  the  rigour 
of  the  Novatians  : '  and  because  they  admitted  not 
lapsed  persons  to  the  peace  of  the  church  upon  any 
terms,  though  never  so  great,  so  public,  or  so  penal 
a  repentance;  therefore  these  not  only  remitted 
them  to  the  exercise  and  station  of  penitents,  but 
also  to  the  communion.  But  the  fathers  of  the 
council  of  Eliberis  denied  this  favour  to  persons  who 
after  baptism  were  idolaters:*  either  intending  this 
as  a  great  argument  to  affright  persons  from  so 
great  a  crime  ;  or  else  believing  that  it  was  unpar- 
donable after  baptism,  a  contradiction  to  that  state 
which  we  entered  into  by  baptism  and  the  cove- 
nant evangelical.  However,  I  desire  all  learned 
j)ersons  to  observe  ic,  and  the  less  learned  also  to 
make  use  of  it,  that  those  more  ancient  councils  of 
the  church  which  commanded  the  holy  commu- 
nion to  be  given  to  dying  persons,  meant  only 
such,  which  according  to  the  custom  of  the  church, 
were  under  the  conditions  of  repentance;  that  is, 
such  to  whom  punishment  and  discipline  of  divers 
years  were  enjoined;  and  if  ir.  happened  they 
died  in  the  interval,  before  the  expiration  of  their 
time  of  reconciliation,  then  they  admitted  them  to 
the  communion.^     Which  describes  to  us  the  doc- 

'  Concil.  Nicen.  can.  ecd.  cone.  Ancyr.  c  6.  Cone.  Aurelian.  ii. 
c  12. 

«  Cone.  Elib.  c  !. 

'  Mird  coKi^naia<; II  ^EniaKoirot^ iTri^ono.  Concil.  Nicen.  c. 
13.  THTHf; 'trri  (ifjfjj  ^t\'3ri/i'cri.  Cone.  Anc.  c.  9.  De  his  qui 
in  ptrnitentia  posici  vita  excesserunt,  p.acuit  nullum  communioiM) 
Tacuiim  debere<limiui.     Cone.  Aurcl.  2  n.    2. 


336  OF    A    DL'F,    IMlFt'ARATION 

trine  of  those  ages  when  religion  was  purer,  and  dis- 
cipline more  severe,  and  holy  life  secured  by  rules 
of  excellent  government;  that  those  only  were  fit 
to  come  to  that  feast,  who  before  their  last  sickness 
had  finished  the  repentance  of  many  years,  or  at 
least  had  undertaken  it.'  I  cannot  say  it  was  so 
always,  and  in  all  churches ;  for  as  the  disciples, 
grew  slack,  or  men's  persuasions  had  variety,  so 
they  were  more  ready  to  grant  repentance,  as  well 
as  absolution  to  dying  persons:  but  it  was  other- 
wise in  the  best  times,  and  with  severer  prelates. 
And  certainly  it  were  great  charity  to  deny  the 
communion  to  persons  who  have  lived  viciously 
till  their  death  ;  provided  it  be  by  competent  autho- 
rity, and  done  sincerely,  prudently,  and  witliout 
temporal  interest:  to  other  persons,  who  have  lived 
good  lives,  or  repented  of  their  bad,  though  less 
perfectly,  it  ought  not  to  be  denied,  and  they  less 
ought  to  neglect  it. 

'26.  But  as  every  man  must  put  himself,  so  also 
he  must  put  his  house  in  order;  make  his  will,  if  he 
have  an  estate  to  dispose  of;  and  in  that  he  mu&t 
be  careful  to  do  justice  to  every  man,  and  charity 
to  the  poor,  according  as  God  hath  enabled  him. 
And  though  charity  is  then  very  late,  if  it  begins 
not  earlier;  yet  if  this  be  but  an  act  of  an  ancient 
habit,  it  is  still  more  perfect,  as  it  succeeds  in 
time,  and  superadds  to  the  former  stock.  And 
among  other  acts  of  duty  let  it  be  remembered,  that 
it  is  excellent  charity  to  leave  our  will  and  desires 
clear,  plain,  and  determinate,  that  contention  and 
lawsuits  may  be  prevented  by  the  explicate  de- 
claration of  the   legacies.     At  last  and  in  all  in- 

»  VideConcil.  Eliber.c.  4(1,  etc.  C9. 


For    Dr.ATM.  337 

stances  and  periods  of  our  following  days,  let  the 
former  good  acts  be  renewed  ;  let  God  be  pniised 
for  all  his  graces  and  ])lessings  of  our  life;  let  bim 
be  entreated  for  pardon  of  our  sins ;  lei  acts  of  love 
and  contrition,  of  bo[)e,  of  joy,  of  humility,  be  ihe 
work  of  every  day  which  God  still  permits  us : 
always  remembering  to  ask  remission  for  those  sins 
we  rememlier  not.  And  if  the  condition  of  our 
sickness  |  ermit  it,  let  our  last  breath  expire  with 
an  act  of  love;  that  it  may  begin  the  charities  of 
eternity,  and  like  a  taper  burnt  to  its  lowest  base, 
it  may  go  out  with  a  great  emission  of  light, 
leaving  a  sweet  smell  behind  us  to  perfume  our 
coffin;  and  that  these  lights,  newly  made  brighter, 
or  trimmed  up  in  our  sickness,  may  shine  about 
our  hearse,  that  they  may  become  arguments  of  a 
pious  sadness  to  our  friends,  (as  the  charitable 
coats  xvhich  Dorcas  made  were  to  the  widows,)  and 
exemplary  to  all  those  who  observed,  or  shall 
hear  of  our  holy  life  and  religious  death.  But  if  it 
shall  happen  that  the  disease  be  productive  of  evil 
accidents,  as  a  disturbed  fancy,  a  weakened  under- 
standing, wild  discoursings,  or  any  deprivation  of 
the  use  of  reason,  it  concerns  the  sick  jjerson,  in 
the  happy  intervals  of  a  quiet  untroubled  spirit,  to 
pray  earnestly  to  God  that  nothing  may  pass  from 
him,  in  the  rages  of  a  fever  or  worse  distemper, 
which  may  less  become  his  duty,  or  give  scandid, 
or  cause  trouble  to  the  persons  in  attendance;  ami 
if  he  shall  also  renounce  and  disclaim  all  such 
evil  words  whicli  his  disease  may  speak,  not  him- 
self, he  shall  do  the  duty  of  a  Christian  and  a  pru- 
dent person.  And  after  these  preparatives  i)e  may 
with  piety  and  confidence  resign  his  soul  into  the 
liands  of  God,  to  be  deposited  in  holy  receptaeU-a 
vol..     II.  4t 


338    OF  A  DLL  rRTPARATlON  fOU  UKAlH. 

till  the  clay  of  restitution  of  all  things;  and  in  the 
mean  time,  with  a  quiet  spirit,  descend  into  that 
state  which  is  the  lot  of  Caesars,  and  where  all 
kings  and  conquerors  have  laid  aside  their  glories. 


THE  PRAYER. 

O  eternal  and  holy  Jesus,  who  by  death  hast  overcome  death, 
and  by  thy  passion  hast  taken  out  its  sting,  and  made  it  to  be- 
come one  of  the  gates  of  heaven,  and  an  entrance  to  felicity ; 
have  mercy  upon  me  now  and  at  the  hour  of  my  death :  let  thy 
grace  accompany  me  all  the  days  of  my  life,  that  I  may,  by  a 
holy  conversation,  and  an  habitual  performance  of  my  duty, 
wait  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  and  be  ready  to  enter  wiih  thee 
at  whatsoever  hour  thou  shalt  come.  Lord,  let  not  my  death  be  in 
any  sense  unprovided,  nor  untimely,  nor  hasty,  but  after  the  com- 
mon manner  of  men,  having  in  it  nothing  extraordinary  but  an  ex- 
traordinary piety,  and  the  manifestation  of  a  great  and  miraculous 
mercy.  Let  my  senses  and  understanding  be  preserved  entire  till  the 
last  of  my  days,  and  grant  that  I  may  die  the  death  of  the  righte- 
ous, having  first  discharged  all  my  obligations  of  justice,  leaving 
none  miserable  a'.id  unprovided  in  my  departure ;  but  be  thou 
the  portion  of  all  my  friends  and  relatives,  and  let  thy  blessing 
descend  upon  their  heads,  and  abide  there,  till  they  shall  meet 
me  In  the  bosom  of  our  Lord.  Preserve  me  ever  in  the  commu- 
nion and  peace  of  the  church ;  and  bless  my  death- bed  with  the 
opportunity  of  a  holy  and  spiritual  guide,  with  the  assistance 
and  guard  of  angels,  with  the  perception  of  the  holy  sacrament, 
with  patience  and  dereliction  of  my  own  desires,  with  a  strong 
faith  and  a  firm  and  humble  hope,  with  just  measures  of  repent- 
ance, and  great  treasures  of  chanty  to  thee,  my  God,  and  to  all  the 
world  ;  that  my  soul  in  the  arms  of  the  holy  Jesus  may  be  de- 
posited with  safety  and  joy,  there  to  expect  the  revelations  of  thy 
day,  and  then  to  partake  the  glories  of  thy  kingdom,  O  eternal 
and  holy  Jesus.     Amen. 


ON    THE    CRLCIUXHO.  33ft 


Considerations  upon  the  Crucijixion  of  the  holy  Jesus. 

1.  When  the  sentence  of  death  pronounced 
against  the  Lord  was  to  be  put  in  execution,  the 
soldiers  pulled  off  the  robe  of  mockery,  the  scarlet 
mantle  which  in  jest  they  put  upon  him,  and  put 
on  his  own  garments.  But,  as  Origen  observes, 
the  evangelist  mentioned  not  that  they  took  off 
the  crown  of  thorns :  what  might  serve  their  inte- 
rest they  pursue,  but  nothing  of  remission  or  mer- 
cy to  the  afflicted  Son  of  man.  But  so  it  became 
the  King  of  sufferings,  not  to  lay  aside  his  imperial 
thorns,  till  they  were  changed  into  diadems  of 
glory.  But  now  Abel  is  led  forth  by  his  brother 
to  be  slain.  A  gay  spectacle  to  satisfy  impious 
eyes,  who  would  not  stay  behind,  but  attended  and 
waited  upon  the  hangman  to  see  the  catastrophe 
of  this  bloody  tragedy.  But  when  piety  looks  on, 
she  beholds  a  glorious  mystery.'  Sin  laughed  to 
see  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  great 
lover  of  souls,  instead  of  the  scepter  of  his  king- 
dom, to  bear  a  tree  of  cursing  and  shame.  But 
piety  wept  tears  of  pity,  and  knew  they  would 
melt  into  joy,  when  she  should  behold  that  cross, 
which  loaded  the  shoulders  of  her  Lord,  afterward 
sit  upon  the  scepters,  and  be  engraved  and  signed 
upon  the  foreheads  of  kings, 

2.  It  cannot  be  thouglit  but  the  ministers  of 
Jewish  malice  used  all  the  circumstances  of  afflic- 
tion, which  in  any  case  were  accustomed  towards 
malefactors  and  persons  to  be  crucified;  and  there- 
fore it   was,  that  in  some  old  figures  we  see  our 

>  S.  Aug.  Tract.  II'J,  iu  Juaa. 


340  CONSlDF.RATrONS    I'PON 

blessed  Lord  described  with  a  table,  appendant  to  the 
fringe  of  his  garment,  set  full  of  nails  and  pointed 
iron ;  for  so  sometimes  they  afflicted  persons  con- 
demned to  that  kind  of  death.  And  St.  Cyprian 
affirms  that  Christ  did  stick  to  the  wood  that  he 
carried,  being  galled  with  the  iron  at  his  heels,  and 
nailed  even  before  his  crucifixion."  But  this  and 
the  other  accidents  of  his  journey  and  their  malice 
so  crushed  his  wounded,  tender,  and  virginal  body, 
that  they  wei'e  forced  to  lay  the  load  upon  a  Cy- 
renian,  fearing  that  he  should  die  with  less  shame 
and  smart  than  they  intended  him.  But  so  he  was 
pleased  to  take  man  unto  his  aid,  not  only  to  repre- 
sent his  own  need  and  the  dolorousness  of  his  pas- 
sion, but  to  consign  the  duty  unto  man,  that  we  must 
enter  into  a  fellowship  of  Christ's  sufferings,  taking 
up  the  cross  of  martyrdom  when  God  requires  us, 
enduring  affronts,  being  patient  under  affliction, 
loving  them  that  hate  us,  and  being  benefactors  to 
our  enemies,  abstaining  from  sensual  and  intem- 
perate delight,  forbidding  to  ourselves  lawful  fes- 
tivities and  recreations  of  our  weariness,  when  we 
have  an  end  of  the  spirit  to  serve  upon  tiie  ruins 
of  the  body's  strength,  mortifying  our  desires, 
breaking  our  own  will,  not  seeking  ourselves,  be- 
ing entirely  resigned  to  God,  These  are  the  cross, 
and  the  nails,  and  the  sjjear,  and  the  whip,  and  ail 
the  instruments  of  a  Christian's  passion.  And  we 
may  consider,  that  every  man  in  this  world  shall 
in  some  sense  or  other  bear  a  cross,  few  men  es- 
cape it,  and  it  is  not  well  with  them  that  do ;  but 
they  only  bear  it  well  that  follow  Christ,  and 
tread  in  his  steps,  and  bear  it  for  his  sake,  and 

'  S.  Cypr.  de  Pass. 


IHU  cKtcii-ixiuN  or  Jtsus.  341 

walk  as  l)e  walked;  and  he  that  follows  his  owi 
desires,  when  he  meets  with  a  cross  there,  (as  it  is 
certain  enough  he  will,)  bears  the  cross  of  his  con- 
cupiscence, and  that  hath  no  fellowship  with  the 
cross  of  Christ.  By  the  precept  of  bearing  the 
cross  we  are  not  tied  to  pull  evil  upon  ourselves, 
that  we  may  imitate  our  Lord  in  nothing  but  in 
being  afflicted ;  or  to  personate  ti«e  punitive  exer- 
cises of  mortification  and  severe  abstinences  which 
were  eminent  in  some  saints,  utkI  to  which  they 
bad  special  assistances,  as  others  had  the  gift  of 
chastity,  and  for  which  they  had  special  reason, 
and,  as  they  apprehended,  some  great  necessities: 
but  it  is  required  that  we  bear  our  own  cross ; ' 
so  said  our  dearest  Lord.  For  when  the  cross  ot 
Christ  is  laid  upon  us,  and  we  are  called  to  mar- 
tyrdom, then  it  is  our  own,  because  God  made 
it  to  be  our  portion  :  and  when,  by  the  necessilieii 
of  our  spirit,  and  the  rebellion  of  our  body 
we  need  exterior  mortifications  and  acts  of  sel'" 
denial,  then  also  it  is  our  own  cross,  because 
our  needs  have  made  it  so  :  and  so  it  is  when 
God  sends  us  sickness  or  any  other  calamity,  what 
ever  is  either  an  effect  of  our  ghostly  needs,  or  tht 
condition  of  our  temporal  estate,  it  calls  for  oui 
sufterance,  and  patience,  and  equanimity.  Fo 
'therefore  Christ  hath  sutlered  for  us,'  saith  St 
I'eter,  '  leaving  us  an  example,  that  we  shouk 
follow  his  steps,'*  who  bore  his  cross  as  long  as  he 
could  ;  and  when  he  could  no  longer,  he  mui 
mured  not,  but  sank  under  it:  and  then  he  was 
content  to  receive  such  aid,  not  which  he  chose 
himself,  but  such  as  was  assigned  liim. 

<  Mhtt.  xvi.  24.  <  1  I'ct.  ii.  2  . 


342  CONSIDi:ilATlON8    UI'ON 

3.  Jesus  was  led  out  of  the  gates  of  Jerusalem, 
that  he  might  become  the  sacrifice  for  persons 
without  the  pale,  even  for  all  the  world.'  And  the 
daughters  of  Jerusalem  followed  him  with  pious 
tears  till  they  came  to  Calvary; — a  place  difficult  in 
the  ascent,  eminent  and  apt  for  the  publication  of 
shame,  a  hill  of  death  and  dead  bones,  polluted 
and  impure  ; — and  there  beheld  him  stripped  naked 
who  clothes  the  fields  with  flowers,  and  all  the 
world  with  robes,  and  the  whole  globe  with  the 
canopy  of  heaven;  and  so  dressed,  that  now  every 
circumstance  was  a  triumph.*  By  his  disgrace  he 
trampled  upon  our  pride  ;  by  his  poverty  and  na- 
kedness he  triumphed  over  our  covetousness  and 
love  of  riches  ;  and  by  his  pains  chastised  ihe  deli- 
cacies of  our  flesh,  and  broke  in  pieces  the  fetters 
of  concupiscence.  For  as  soon  as  Adam  was 
clothed,  he  quitted  Paradise  ;  and  Jesus  was  made 
naked,  that  he  might  bring  us  in  again.  And  we 
also  must  be  despoiled  of  all  our  exterior  adhe- 
rences ;  that  we  may  pass  through  the  regions  of 
duty  and  divine  love  to  a  society  of  blessed  spirits, 
and  a  clarified,  immortal,  and  beatified  estate. 

4.  There  they  nailed  Jesus  with  four  nails,  fixed 
his  cross  in  the  ground,  which  with  its  fall  into  the 
place  of  its  station  gave  infinite  torture  by  so  vio- 
lent a  concussion  of  the  body  of  our  Lord,  which 
rested  upon  nothing  but  four  great  wounds  ;  where 
he  was  designed  to  suffer  a  long  and  lingering  tor- 
ment. '  For  crucifixion,  as  it  was  an  exquisite 
pain,  sharp  and  passionate,  so  it  was  not  of  quick 
effect  towards  taking  away   the  life.     St.  Andrew 

'  Hcb.  xiii.  13.  "  Athanas.  de  Pass,  el  Cruce  Domini. 

1  KiiOi  foi'ijfi;  yUr  ^opv  rirpawXtvpof.  — -  Nonn. 


mi;  cKtciFixioN  <»f  Jtsus.  343 

was  two  whole  days  upon  the  cross;  and  somo 
martyrs  have  upon  the  cross  been  rather  starved, 
and  devoured  witli  birds,  than  killed  with  the 
proper  torment  of  tiie  tree.  But  Jesus  took  all  his 
passion  with  a  voluntary  snsception,  God  heij^hten- 
inj^  it  to  g;reat  deg^rees  of  torment  supernaturally  ; 
and  he  laid  down  his  life  voluntarily,  when  his  Fa- 
ther's wrath  was  totally  appeased  towards  mankind. 
5.  Some  have  fancied,  that  Christ  was  pleased 
to  take  somethin!2^  from  every  condition  of  which 
man  ever  was  or  shall  be  possessed  ;  taking-  immu- 
nity from  sin  from  Adam's  state  of  innocence,  pu- 
nishment and  misery  from  the  state  of  Adam 
fallen,  the  fulness  of  grace  from  the  state  of  reno- 
vation, and  perfect  contemplation  of  the  divinity 
and  beatific  joys  from  the  state  of  comprehension 
and  the  blessedness  of  heaven  :  meaning,  tliat  the 
humanity  of  our  blessed  Saviour  did,  in  the  sharp- 
est agony  of  his  passion,  behold  the  face  of  God, 
and  communicate  in  j^lory.  But  I  consider  that, 
although  the  two  natu;es  of  Christ  were  knit  by  a 
mysterious  union  into  one  person,  yet  the  natures 
still  retain  their  incommunicable  properties.  Christ, 
as  God,  is  not  subject  to  hufterings,  as  a  man  he 
is  the  subject  of  miseries;  as  God  he  is  eternal, 
as  man,  mortal  and  commensurable  by  time;  as 
God,  the  supreme  lawgiver,  as  man,  most  humble 
and  obedient  to  tlie  law ;  and  therefore  that  tlie 
human  nature  was  united  to  the  divine,  it  does  not 
infer  that  it  must  in  all  instances  partake  of  the 
divine  felicities,  which  in  God  are  essential,  to 
man  communicated  without  necessity,  and  by  an 
arbitrary  dis|)ensation.  Add  to  this,  that  some 
virtues  and  excellencies  were  in  the  soul  of  Christ 
vhich  could  not   consist  with  the  state  of  glorified 


344  coNsiDEttvnoNs  upon 

and  beatified  persons;  such  as  are  humility,  po« 
verty  of  spirit,  hope,  holy  desires  ;  all  which  havinpf 
their  seat  in  the  soul,  suppose  even  in  the  supreniest 
faculty  a  state  of  pilgrimage;  that  is,  a  condition 
which  is  imperfect,  and  in  order  to  something  be- 
yond its  present.  For  therefore  '  Christ  ought  to 
suffer,'  (saith  our  blessed  Lord  himself,)  and  'so 
enter  into  his  glory."  And  St.  Paul  affirms,  that 
'  we  see  Jesus  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned  with  glory  and 
honour,'*  And  again,  'Christ  humbled  himself, 
and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of 
the  cross:  wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted 
him,  and  given  him  a  name  above  every  name.'  * 
Thus  his  present  life  was  a  state  of  merit  and 
work,  and  as  a  reward  of  it,  he  was  crowned  with 
glory  and  immortality  ;  his  name  was  exalted,  his 
kingdom  glorified  ;  he  was  made  the  Lord  of  all 
the  creatures,  the  first  fruits  of  the  resurrection,  the 
exemplar  of  glory,  and  the  prince  and  head  of  the 
catholic  church  ;  and  because  this  was  his  recom- 
pence,  and  the  fruits  of  his  humility  and  obedience, 
it  is  certain  it  was  not  a  necessary  consequence  and 
a  natural  efflux  of  the  personal  union  of  the  god- 
head with  the  humanity.  This  I  discourse  to  this 
purpose,  that  we  may  not  in  our  esteem  lessen  the 
suffering  of  our  dearest  Lord,  by  thinking  he  had 
the  supports  of  actual  glory  in  the  midst  of  all  his 
sufferings.  For  there  is  no  one  minute  or  ray  of 
glory  but  its  fruition  does  outweigh  and  make  us 
insensible  of  the  greatest  calamities,  and  the  spirit 
of  pain  which  can  be  extracted  from  all  the  infeli- 


«  Luke,  xxiv.  26,  secundum  vulg.  interp.  °  Heb.  ii.  9. 

*  Phil.  ii.  8,  9. 


Tin;  CKUciiixiuN  of  ji;.sus.  315 

cities  of  lliis  world.  True  it  is,  tlnit  the  f(re;ileht 
biauties  in  liiis  world  are  receptive  of  .in  allay  of 
sorrow,  and  nothini,'  can  have  pleasure  in  all  capa- 
cities. The  most  beauteous  leathers  of  the  birds  of 
paradise,  the  ostrich,  or  the  peacock,  if  put  into 
our  throat,  are  not  there  so  pleasant  as  to  the  eye. 
But  the  beatific  joys  of  the  least  glory  of  heaven 
take  away  all  pain,  '  wipe  away  all  tears  from  our 
eyes  ;'  and  it  is  not  possible  that  at  the  same  instant 
the  soul  of  Jesus  should  be  ravished  with  jflorv, 
and  yet  abated  with  pains  grievous  and  afflictive. 
On  the  other  side,  some  say  that  the  soul  of  Jesus 
upon  the  cross  suffered  the  pains  of  hell,  and  all 
the  torments  of  the  damned  ;  and  that  without 
such  sufTerinjjs  it  is  not  imaginable  he  should  pay 
the  price  which  God's  wrath  should  demand  of  us. 
But  the  same  tliat  reproves  the  one  does  also  repre- 
hend the  other;  for  the  hope  that  was  tlie  support 
of  the  soul  of  Jesus,  as  it  confesses  an  imperfection 
that  is  not  consistent  with  the  state  of  glory,  so  it 
excludes  the  despair  that  is  the  torment  proper  to 
accursed  souls.  Our  dearest  Lord  suffered  the 
whole  condition  of  humanity,  'sin  only  excepted;' 
and  freed  us  from  hell  with  suffering  those  sad 
pains,  and  merited  heaven  for  his  own  humanity, 
as  the  head,  and  all  faithful  people,  as  the  mem- 
bers of  his  mystical  body.  And  therefore  his  life 
here  was  only  a  state  of  pilgrimage,  not  at  all 
trimmed  with  beatific  glories.  Much  less  was  he 
ever  in  the  stale  of  hell,  or  upon  the  cross  felt  the 
form;d  misery  and  spirit  of  torment  which  is  the 
jjortion  of  damned  spirits;  because  it  was  impos- 
sible Christ  should  despair,  and  without  despair  it 
is  impossible  there  should  he  a  hell  But  this  is 
hiphiy   probaMv,   l)ui»    in   thi-   iulinti<.>i)  of  degrees 


246  CONSlUEUAliONS    UPON 

and  present  anguish,  the  soul  of  our  Lord  might 
feel  a  greater  load  of  wrath  than  is  incumbent  in 
every  instant  upon  perishing  souls.  For  all  the 
sadness  which  may  be  imagined  to  be  in  hell,  con- 
sists in  acts  produced  from  principles  that  cannot 
surpass  the  force  of  human  or  angelical  nature; 
but  the  pain  which  our  blessed  Lord  endured  for 
the  expiation  of  our  sins,  was  an  issue  of  an  united 
and  concentred  anger,  was  received  into  the  heart 
of  God  and  man,  and  was  commensurate  to  the 
whole  latitude  of  the  grace,  patience,  and  cha- 
rity of  the  Word  incarnate. 

6.  And  now  behold  the  priest  and  the  sacrifice 
of  all  the  world  laid  upon  the  altar  of  the  cross, 
bleeding,  and  tortured,  and  dying,  to  reconcile  his 
Father  to  us  :  and  he  was  arrayed  with  ornaments 
more  glorious  than  the  robes  of  Aaron.  The  crown 
of  thorns  was  his  mitre,  the  cross  his  pastoral  staff, 
the  nails  piercing  his  hands  were  instead  of  rings, 
the  ancient  ornament  of  priests,  and  his  flesh  rased 
and  chequered  with  blue  and  blood,  instead  of  the 
parti-coloured  robe.  But  as  this  object  calls  for 
our  devotion,  our  love  and  eucharist  to  our  dearest 
liord  ;  so  it  must  needs  irreconcile  us  to  sin,  which 
in  the  eye  of  all  the  world  brought  so  great  shame, 
and  pain,  and  amazement  upon  the  Son  of  God, 
when  he  only  became  engaged  by  a  charitable 
substitution  of  himself  in  our  place;  and  therefore 
we  are  assured,  by  the  demonstration  of  sense  and 
e\f)erience,  it  will  bring  death  and  all  imaginable 
miseries,  as  the  just  expressions  of  God's  indigna- 
lion  and  hatred.  For  to  this  we  may  apply  tlie 
word's  of  oui'  Lord  in  the  prediction  of  miseries  to 
.lerusalem:  '  Jf  this  be  done  in  the  green  tree, 
what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?'     For  it  is  certain 


THE    CRUCIIIXIUN    OF    JESLi*  347 

Christ  infinitely  pleased  his  Falliei*  ever,  oy  hecom- 
in{^  the  person  miide  snilty  in  estimate  of  law  ;  and 
yet  so  g^reat  charity  of  our  Lord,  and  the  so  great 
love  and  pleasure  of  his  Father,  exempted  him 
not  from  suffering  pains  intolerable.  And  much 
less  shall  those  escape  who  provoke  and  dis])lease 
God,  and  '  despise  so  great  salvation,'  whicli  the 
holy  Jesus  hath  wrought  with  the  expense  of  blood, 
and  so  precious  a  life. 

7.  But  here  we  see  a  great  representation  and 
testimony  of  the  divine  justice,  who  was  so  angry 
with  sin,  who  had  so  severely  threatened  it,  who 
does  so  essentially  hate  it,  that  he  would  not  spare 
his  only  Son,  when  he  became  a  conjunct  person, 
relative  to  the  guilt,  by  undertaking  the  charges  of 
our  nature.  For  although  God  hath  se*  down  in 
holy  Scripture  the  order  of  liis  justice,  and  the 
manner  of  its  manifestation,  that  one  soul  should 
not  perish  for  the  sins  of  another;'  yet  this  is 
meant  for  justice  and  for  mercy  too :  that  is 
he  will  not  curse  the  son  for  the  father's  fault,* 
or  in  any  relation  whatsoever  substitute  one  person 
for  another,  to  make  him  involuntarily  guUty;  but 
when  this  shall  be  desired  by  a  person  that  cannot 
finally  perish,  and  does  a  mercy  to  the  exempt 
persons,  and  is  a  voluntary  act  of  the  suscipienl, 
and  shall  in  the  event  also  redound  to  an  infinite 
good,  it  is  no  deflexion  from  the  divine  justice  to 
excuse  many  by  the.  affliction  of  one,  who  also  for 
that  very  suflering  shall  have  infinite  comj)ensa- 
tion.  We  see  that  for  the  sin  of  Cham  aU  his 
posterity  were  accursed :  the  subjects  of  David 
died  witli  the  plague,  because  their  prince  num- 

•  Eiek.  xviii.2,  3,  4,  &c.  '  Dciit.  xxiv.  16. 


348  CONSIDERATIONS    Ul'ON 

bered  the  people :  idolatry  is  punished  in  the 
children  of  the  fourtli  sreneration :  Saul's  seven 
sons  were  hanged  for  his  breakinj?  the  league  ot 
Gibeon ;  and  Ahabs  sin  was  punished  in  his  pos- 
terity, he  escaping,  and  '  the  evil  was  brought 
upon  his  house  in  his  son's  days.'  In  all  these 
cases,  the  evil  descended  upon  persons  in  near  re- 
lation to  the  sinner,  and  was  a  punishment  to  him, 
and  a  misery  to  these;  and  were  either  chastise- 
ments also  of  their  own  sins;  or,  if  they  were  not, 
they  served  other  ends  of  providence,  and  led  the 
afflicted  innocent  to  a  condition  of  recompence, 
accidentally  procured  by  that  infliction.  But  if  for 
such  relation's  sake  and  economical  and  political 
conjunction,  as  between  prince  and  people,  the 
evil  may  be  transmitted  from  one  to  another  ;  much 
rather  is  it  just,  when  by  contract  a  competent  and 
conjunct  person  undertakes  to  quit  his  relative. 
Thus,  when  the  hand  steals,  the  back  is  whipped  ; 
and  an  evil  eye  is  punished  with  a  hungry  belly. 
Treason  causes  the  whole  family  to  be  miserable ; 
and  a  sacrilegious  grandfather  hath  sent  a  locust  to 
devour  the  increase  of  the  nephews. 

8.  But  in  our  case  it  is  a  voluntary  contract,  and 
therefore  no  injustice;  all  parties  are  voluntary. 
God  is  the  supreme  Lord,  and  his  actions  are  the 
measure  of  justice:  we,  who  had  deserved  the  pu- 
nishment, had  great  reason  to  desire  a  Redeemer; 
and  yet  Christ,  who  was  to  pay  the  ransom,  was 
more  desirous  of  it  than  we  were,  for  we  asked  it 
not  before  it  was  promised  and  undertaken.  But 
thus  we  see  that  sureties  pay  the  obligation  ol"  the 
principal  debtor,  and  the  pledges  of  contracts  have 
been,  by  the  best  and  wisest  nations,  slain,  when 
the    articles    have   been    hroken :    the  ThcssalianP 


THE    CHI  CIFIXIoN    OF    JI'SL3.  349 

slew  two  hiindred  and  fiTty  pledges ;  the  Romans 
three  luindied  of  the  Volsci,  and  threw  the  Ta- 
rentines  from  the  Tarpeian  rock.'  And  that  it 
may  appear  Christ  was  a  person  in  all  senses  com- 
petent to  do  this  for  us,  himself  testifies,  that  he 
had  '  power  over  his  own  life,  to  take  it  up  or  lay 
it  down.'*  And  therefore,  as  there  can  he  nothinu^ 
affainst  the  most  exact  justice  and  reason  of  laws 
and  punishments,  so  it  mairnifies  the  divine  mercy, 
wlio  removes  the  punishment  from  us,  who  of  ne- 
cessity must  have  sunk  under  it;  and  yet  makes 
us  to  adore  his  severity,  who  would  not  forfjive  us 
without  punishing  iiis  Son  for  us;  to  consign  unto 
us  liis  perfect  hatred  against  sin,  to  conserve  ihesa- 
credness  of  his  laws,  and  to  imprint  upon  us  great 
characters  of  fear  and  love.  The  famous  Locrian, 
Zaleucus,  made  a  law,  that  all  adulterers  should 
lose  both  their  eyes.  His  son  was  first  unhappily 
surprised  in  the  crime;  and  his  father,  to  keep  a 
temper  between  the  piety  and  soft  spirit  of  a  pa- 
rent, and  the  justice  and  severity  of  a  judge,  put 
out  one  of  his  own  eyes,  and  one  of  his  son's.'  So 
(iod  did  with  us:  he  made  some  abatement,  that 
is,  as  to  the  person  with  whom  he  was  angry,  but 
inflicted  his  anger  upon  our  Redeemer,  whom  he 
essentially  loved,  to  secure  the  dignity  of  his  sanc- 
tions and  the  sacredness  of  obedience ;  so  marry- 
ing justice  and  mercy  by  the  intervening  of  a 
commutation.  Thus  David  escaped  by  the  death 
of  his  son,  God  choosing  that  penalty  for  the  ex- 

'  Livius,  vide  li.  Si  ,(uis  rennn.  D.  de  custod.  et  exhib. 
reoruni.  L.  si  ;i  reo  1).  de  fidejussoribus. 

"  John,  X.  IB. 

*  Apud  Diodor.  Sicul.  et  iClian.  "Ira  in)  o  I'tafiaKog 
rvyXwh^  riXtwr,  )?y  ii'ti  fit)  CitKpBaiiff  rb  i'nra^  KiKvpuijUvov 


350  CONSIDERATIONS    UPON 

piation  ;  and  Cimon  offered  himself  to  prison,  to 
purchase  the  liberty  of  his  father,  Miltiades.  It 
was  a  filial  duly  in  Cimon,  and  yet  the  law  was 
satisfied.  And  both  these  concurred  in  our  great 
Redeemer.  For  God,  who  was  the  sole  arbitrator, 
so  disposed  it;  and  the  eternal  Son  of  God  sub- 
mitted to  this  way  of  expiating  our  crimes ;  and  it 
became  an  argument  of  faith  and  belief  of  the 
great  article  of  remission  of  sins,  and  other  its 
appendant  causes,  and  effects,  and  adjuncts :  it 
being  wrought  by  a  visible  and  notorious  passion. 
It  was  made  an  encouragement  of  hope ;  for  '  he 
that  spared  not  his  own  Son'  to  reconcile  us,  '  will 
with  him  give  all  things  else'  to  us  so  reconciled : 
and  a  great  endearment  of  our  duty  and  love,  as  it 
was  a  demonstration  of  his.  And  in  all  the  changes 
and  traverses  of  our  life,  he  is  made  to  us  a  great 
example  of  all  excellent  actions  and  all  patient 
sufferings. 

9.  In  the  midst  of  two  thieves,  three  long  hours 
the  holy  Jesus  hung  clothed  with  pain,  agony,  and 
dishonour;  all  of  them  so  eminent  and  vast,  that 
he  who  could  not  but  hope,  whose  soul  was  en- 
chased with  divinity,  and  dwelt  in  the  bosom  of 
God,  and  in  the  cabinet  of  the  mysterious  Trinity, 
yet  had  a  cloud  of  misery  so  thick  and  black 
drawn  before  him,  that  he  complained  as  if  God 
had  forsaken  him.  But  this  was  '  the  pillar  of  a 
cloud,'  which  conducted  Israel  into  Canaan.  And 
as  God  behind  the  cloud  supported  the  holy  Jesus, 
and  stood  ready  to  receive  him  into  the  union  of  his 
glories  ;  so  his  soul,  in  that  great  desertion,  had  in- 
ternal comforts,  proceeding  from  consideration  of 
all  those  excellent  persons  which  should  be  adopt- 
ed  into  the    fellowship    of   his  sufferings,   which 


IHF.    flMCIHXION    (JF    JF.SLS.  'Af>\ 

Rhould  imitate  liis  graces,  which  should  communi- 
cate in  his  glories.  And  we  follow  this  cloud  to 
our  country,  having  Christ  for  our  guide.  And 
though  he  trod  the  way,  leaning  upon  the  cross, 
which,  like  the  staff  of  Egypt,  pierced  his  liands ; 
yet  it  is  to  us  a  comfort  and  support,  pleasant  to 
our  spirits  as  the  sweetest  canes,  strong  as  the  pil- 
lars of  the  earth,  and  made  apt  for  our  use  by  liav- 
ing  been  borne  and  made  smooth  by  the  hands  of 
our  elder  brother. 

10.  In  the  midst  of  all  his  torments,  Jesus  only 
made  one  prayer  of  sorrow,  to  represent  his  sad 
condition  to  his  Father;  but  no  accent  of  murmur, 
no  syllable  of  anger  against  his  enemies  :  instead 
of  that  he  sent  up  a  holy,  charitable,  anti  effective 
prayer  for  their  forgiveness;  and  by  that  prayer 
obtained  of  God  tliat  within  fifty-five  days  ciglit 
thousand  of  his  enemies  were  converted.  So  po- 
tent is  the  prayer  of  charity,  that  it  prevails  above 
the  malice  of  men,  turning  the  arts  of  Satan  into 
the  designs  of  God  ;  and  when  malice  occasions 
the  prayer,  the  prayer  becomes  an  antidote  to  ma- 
lice. And  by  this  instance  our  blessed  Lord  con- 
signed that  duty  to  us,  which  in  his  sermons  he 
had  preached,  that  we  should  forgive  our  enemies, 
and  pray  for  them  ;  an<l  liy  so  doing,  ourselves  are 
freed  from  the  stings  of  anger,  and  the  storms  of  a 
revengeful  spirit;  and  we  oftentimes  i)rocure  ser- 
vants to  God,  friends  to  ourselves,  and  heirs  to  the 
kingdom  of  heaven. 

I  I.  Of  tiie  t\\o  tliieves  that  were  crucified  togetlier 
witli  our  Lord,  the  one  blasphemetl  ;  the  other  had 
at  tliat  time  the  greatest  piety  in  the  world,  except 
that  of  the  blessed  virgin;  and  particularly  had 
such  a  faith,  that  all  the  ages  of  the  church  could 


353  CONSIonRA  1  InNS    VVi)S 

never  show  t\ie  like.'  For  when  lie  saw  Christ  '  in 
the  same  condemnation'  with  himself,  crucified  by 
the  Romans,  accused  and  scorned  by  the  Jews, 
forsaken  by  his  own  apostles,  a  dying,  distressed 
man,  doing  at  that  time  no  miracles  to  attest 
his  divinity  or  innocence  ;  yet  then  he  confesses 
him  to  be  a  Lord,  and  a  King,  and  his  Saviour. 
He  confessed  his  own  shame  and  unworthiness; 
he  submitted  to  the  death  of  the  cross ;  and,  by 
his  voluntary  acceptation  and  tacit  volition  of  it, 
made  it  equivalent  to  as  great  a  punishment  of  his 
own  susception.  He  showed  an  incomparable  mo- 
desty, begging  but  for  a  remembrance  only  ;  he 
knew  himself  so  sinful,  he  durst  ask  no  more.  He 
reproved  the  other  thief  for  blasphemy  ;  he  con- 
fessed the  world  to  come,  and  owned  Christ  pub- 
licly ;  he  prayed  to  him,  lie  hoped  in  him,  and 
pitied  him,  showing  an  excellent  patience  in  this 
sad  condition.  And  in  this  I  consider,  that  be- 
sides the  excellency  of  some  of  these  acts,  and  thj 
goodness  of  all,  the  like  occasion  for  so  exemplary 
faith  never  can  or 'ur;  and  until  all  these  thingsf 
shall  in  these  circu^istances  meet  in  any  one  man, 
he  must  not  hope  for  so  safe  an  exit,  after  an  evil 
life,  upon  the  confidence  of  this  example.  But 
now  Christ  had  the  key  of  paradise  in  his  hand 
and  God  blessed  the  good  thief  with  this  opportu- 
nity of  letting  him  in,  who  at  another  time  might 
liave  waited  longer,  and  been  tied  to  harder  con- 

'   Latro  non  semper  praedonem  aut  grassatorem  denotat,  sed 
inOitem,  qui  fortassis  ob   zelum   Judccorum  aliquid  contra  leges 

Koiranas   fecerat:     alioqui    vir   fait   non  omnino    malus. ■ 

Titubaverunt  qui  viderunt  Christum  mortuos  suscitantem ;  cre- 
didit  ille  qui  videbat  secum  in  ligno  pendeniem.  Recolamus 
fidem  latronis,  quam  non  invenit  Christus  post  resurrect ionem 
in  discioulis  siiis.     S.  August.  Serm  144,  de  Tempore. 


THE    CKlCinXKJN    OF    lESLS.  353 

Hilions.  And  indeed  it  is  very  probable  that  he 
was  much  advantaged  by  the  intervening  accident 
of  dying  at  the  same  time  with  Christ ;  there  be- 
ing a  natural  compassion  produced  in  us  towards 
the  partners  of  our  miseries.  For  Christ  was  not 
void  of  human  passions,  though  he  had  in  them 
uo  imperfection  or  irregularity ;  and  therefore 
might  be  invited  by  the  society  of  misery,  the  ra- 
ther to  admit  him  to  parlicijiate  his  joys.  And 
St.  Paul  proves  him  to  be  'a  merciful  high-priest,' 
because  '  he  was  touched  with  a  feeling  of  our  in- 
firmities;' the  first  expression  of  which  was  to  this 
blessed  thief:  Christ  and  he  together  sat  at  the 
supper  of  bitter  herbs,  and  Christ  paid  his  sym- 
bol, promising  tliat  he  should  that  day  be  together 
with  him  in  paradise. 

12.  By  the  cross  of  Christ  stood  the  holy  virgin 
mother,  upon  whom  old  Simeon's  prophecy  was 
now  verified  ;  for  now  she  felt  '  a  sword  passing 
through  her  very  soul."'  She  stood  without  cla- 
mour and  womanish  noises,  sad,  silent,  and  with 
a  modest  grief,  deep  as  the  waters  of  the  abyss 
but  smooth  as  the  face  of  a  pool ;  full  of  love 
and  patience,  and  sorrow  and  hope.  Now  she 
was  put  to  it  to  make  use  of  all  those  excellent 
discourses  her  holy  Son  had  used  to  build  up  lier 
spirit,  and  fortify  it  against  this  day.  Now  she 
felt  the  blessings  and  strengths  of  faith  ;  and  she 
passed  from  the  griefs  of  the  passion  to  the  expec- 
tation of  the  resurrection,  and  she  rested  in  this 
death  as  in  a  sad  remedy  ;  for  she  knew  it  recon- 
ciled God  with  all  the  world.  But  her  hope  drew 
a  veil  before  her  sorrow  ;  and  tliougli  her  grief  wiis 

'   8.  Ambrose,  lib.  v.  in    Luc. 
'  oi..     )i.  45 


354  c ON  s  I  u i:  it  \ t i  o  v  s  i;  in >  . 

great  enough  to  swallow  her  up,  yet  her  love  was 
greater,  and  did  swallow  up  her  grief.  But  the 
sun  also  had  a  veil  upon  his  face,  and  taught  us  to 
draw  a  curtain  before  the  passion,  which  would  be 
the  most  artificial  expression  of  its  greatness;  whilst 
by  silence  and  wonder  we  confess  it  great  beyond 
our  expression,  or,  which  is  all  one,  great  as  the 
burden  and  baseness  of  our  sins;  and  with  this 
veil  drawn  before  the  face  of  Jesus,  let  us  suppose 
him  at  the  gates  of  paradise,  calling  with  his  last 
words,  in  a  loud  voice,  to  have  them  opened,  that 
the  King  of  glory  might  come  in. 


THE  PRAYER. 

I. 

O  holy  Jesus,  who  for  our  sakes  didst  suffer  incomparable 
anguish  and  pains,  commensurate  to  thy  love  and  our  miseries, 
which  were  infinite,  that  thou  mightest  purchase  for  us  blessings 
upon  earth,  and  an  inheritance  in  heaven  ;  dispose  us  by  love, 
thankfulness,  humility,  and  obedience,  to  receive  all  the  benefit 
of  thy  passion;  granting  unto  us  and  thy  whole  church  remis- 
sion of  all  our  sins,  integrity  of  mind,  health  of  body,  competent 
maintenance,  peace  in  our  days,  a  temperate  a:r,  fruitfulness  of 
the  earth,  unity  and  integrity  of  faith,  extirpation  of  heresies, 
reconcilement  of  schisms,  destruction  of  all  wicked  counsels  in- 
tended against  us  ;  atul  bind  the  hands  of  rapine  and  sacrilege, 
that  they  may  not  destroy  the  vintage,  and  root  up  the  vine  itself. 
3Iultiplv  thy  blessings  upon  us,  sweetest  Jesus;  increase  in  us 
true  religion,  sincere  and  actual  devotion  in  our  prayers,  patience 
in  troubles,  and  whatsoever  is  necessary  to  our  soul's  health,  or 
conducin:  to  thy  glory.     Ame  ;. 

II. 

O  dearest  Saviour,  I  adore  thy  mercies,  and  thy  incomparable 
kove,  expressed  in  thy  so  voluntary  susception  ar>d  afec.ior.ate  suf- 


i'liE   vHi  i  II  e\ni\    ni    JE»;is.  ;l.'5 

fering  such  horrid  and  sad  tortures,  which  cannot  be  remembered 
without  a  sad  compassion  :  the  waters  of  bitterness  entered  into 
thy  soul,  and  the  storms  of  deatli  and  thy  Father's  anger  broke 
thee  all  in  pieces.  And  what  shall  I  do,  who  by  my  sins  have 
so  tormented  my  dearest  Lord  ?  What  contrition  can  be  great 
enough,  what  tears  sufficiently  expressive,  what  hatred  and  de- 
testation of  my  crimes  can  be  equal  and  commensurate  to  those 
sad  accidents  which  they  have  produced  ?  Pity  me.  O  Lord, 
pity  me,  dearest  Ood  ;  turn  those  thy  merciful  eyes  towards  me, 
()  most  merciful  Redeemer  :  for  my  sins  are  great,  like  unto  thy 
passion,  full  of  sorrow  and  shame,  and  a  burden  too  great  for  me 
to  bear.  Lord,  who  hast  done  so  much  for  me,  now  only  speak 
the  word,  and  thy  servant  shall  be  whole.  Let  thy  wounds 
heal  me,  thy  virtues  amend  me,  thy  death  quicken  me ;  that  I 
in  this  life,  suffering  the  cross  of  a  sad  and  salutary  repentance,  in 
the  union  and  merits  of  thy  cross  and  passion,  may  die  with 
ihee,  and  rest  with  thee,  and  rise  again  with  thee,  and  live  with 
thee  for  ever,  in  ihe  possession  of  thy  glories,  O  dearest  Saviour 
Jesus.     Amon. 


356  OF    THE    RESDRRF.CTION 

SECTION  XVI. 

of  the  Resurrection  and  Ascension  of  Jesus. 

1.  While  it  was  yet  early  in  the  morning,  upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  Mary  Magdalen  and 
Mary,  the  mother  of  James  and  Salome,  brought 
sweet  spices  to  the  sepulchre,  that  they  might  again 
embalm  the  holy  body;  (for  the  rites  of  embalming 
among  the  Hebrews  used  to  last  forty  days;')  and 
their  love  was  not  satisfied  with  what  Joseph  had 
done.  They  therefore  hastened  to  the  grave ;  and 
after  they  had  expended  their  money,  and  bought 
the  spices,  then  begin  to  consider,  who  shall  re- 
move the  stone  :  but  yet  they  still  go  on,  and  their 
love  answers  the  objection,  not  knowing  how  it 
should  be  done,  but  yet  resolving  to  go  through  all 
the  difficulties ;  but  never  remember  to  take  care 
to  pass  the  guards  of  soldiers.  But  when  they  came 
to  the  sepulchre,  they  found  the  guard  afl^righted 
and  removed,  and  the  stone  rolled  away  :  for  there 
had  a  little  before  their  arrival  been  a  great  earth- 
quake, and  '  an  angel  descending  from  heaven 
rolled  away  the  stone,  and  sat  upon  it;''  and  for 

>   Gen.  1.;  Tacit.  Annal.  lib.  xxi. 

2  Aurora  lucis  rutilat, 
Cnelum  laudibus  intonat, 
Mundus  exultans  jubilat, 
Gemens  infernus  ululat ; 
Cum  rex  ille  fortissiinus, 
Mortis  confractis  viribus, 
Pede  conculcans  Tartara, 
Solvit  a  poena  miseros. 
Ille  qui  clausus  lapide 
Custoditur  sub  milite, 
Triumphans  pompa  nobili, 
Victor  surgit  de  fun  ere. 

'lymn.  Paschal. 


AND    ASCENSION    OF    JF.SUS.  3-57 

fear  of  him  the  guards  about  the  tomb  became 
astonished  with  Tear,  and  were  like  dead  men  : 
and  some  of  them  ran  to  the  hij^h-priests,  and  told 
them  what  had  happened.  But  they  now,  resolving 
to  make  their  iniquity  safe  and  unquestionable  by 
a  new  crime,  hire  the  soldiers  lo  tell  an  incredible 
and  a  weak  fable,  that  his  disciples  came  by  night 
and  stole  him  away  :  against  which  accident  the 
wit  of  man  could  give  no  more  security  than  them- 
selves had  made.  The  women  entered  into  the  se- 
[>ulchre,  and  missing  the  body  of  Jesus,  Mary 
Magdalen  ran  to  the  eleven  apostles,  complaining 
that  the  body  of  our  Lord  was  not  to  be  found. 
Then  Peter  and  John  ran  as  fast  as  they  could  to 
see:  for  the  unexpectedness  of  the  relation,  the 
wonder  of  the  story,  and  the  sadness  of  the  person, 
moved  some  affections  in  them,  which  were  kindled 
by  the  first  principles  and  sparks  of  faith,  but  were 
not  made  actual  and  definite,  because  the  faith  was 
not  raised  to  a  flame :  they  looked  into  the  sepul- 
chre, and  finding  not  the  body  there,  they  returned. 
By  this  time  Mary  Magdalen  was  come  back,  and 
the  women  who  stayed,  weeping  for  their  Lord's 
body,  saw  two  angels  sitting  in  white,  the  one  at 
ihe  head,  and  the  other  at  the  feet;  at  which  unex- 
pected sight  they  trembled,  and  bowed  themselves: 
l)ut  an  angel  bid  them  not  to  fear;  telling  them, 
that  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  was  crucified,  was 
also  risen,  and  was  not  there;  and  called  to  mind 
what  Jesus  had  told  them  in  Galilee  concerning  his 
crucifixion,  and  resurrection  the  third  day. 

2.  And  Mary  Magdalen  turned  herself  back, 
and  saw  Jesus ;  but  supposing  him  to  he  the 
gardener,  she  said  to  him,  '  Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne 
him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid  him,  and 


358  OF     IHH    KtSURUrCTION 

I  will  take  him  away.  But  Jesus  said  unto  her, 
Mary.'  Then  she  knew  his  voice,  and  with  ecstasy 
of  joy  and  wonder  was  ready  to  have  crushed  his  feet 
with  her  embraces.  But  he  commanded  her  not  to 
touch  iiim,  but  go  to  his  brethren,  and  say,  '  I  as- 
cend unto  my  Father  and  to  your  Father,  to  my 
God  and  your  God.'  Mary  departed  with  satisfac- 
tion beyond  the  joys  of  a  victory  or  a  full  vintage, 
and  told  these  things  to  the  apostles;  but  the  narra- 
tion seemed  to  them  as  talk  of  abused  and  fantastic 
j)ersons.  About  the  same  time  Jesus  also  appeared 
unto  Simon  Peter.  Towards  the  declining  of  the 
(hiy,  two  of  his  disciples  going  to  Emmaus,  sad, 
and  discoursing  of  the  late  occurrences,  .Jesus  puts 
himself  into  their  company,  and  upbraids  their  in- 
credulity, and  expounds  the  Scriptures,  that  Christ 
ought  to  suffer,  and  rise  again  the  third  day  ;  and 
in  the  breaking  of  bread  disappeared  ;  and  so  was 
known  to  them  by  vanishing  away,  whom  present 
they  knew  not.  And  instantly  they  hasted  to 
Jerusalem,  and  told  the  apostles  what  had  hap- 
pened. 

3.  And  while  they  were  there,  that  is,  the  same 
day,  at  evening,  when  the  apostles  were  assem- 
bled, all  save  Thomas,  '  secretly,  for  fear  of  the 
Jews,  the  doors  being  shut,  .Tesus  came  and  stood 
in  the  midst  of  them.  They  were  exceedingly 
troubled,  supposing  it  had  been  a  spirit.'  But 
Jesus  confu'ted  them  by  the  philosophy  of  their 
senses;  by  'feeling  his  flesh  and  bones, which  spirits 
iiave  not :'  for  he  gave  them  his  benediction,  '  show- 
ing them  his  hands  and  his  feet.'  At  which  sight 
they  rejoiced  with  exceeding  joy,  and  began  to 
be  restored  to  their  indefinite  hopes  of  some  fu- 
ture felicity,  by  the  return  of  their  Lord  to  life:  and 


AM>    ASCI  NSIU.V    t>K    Ji:sis.  'S-^i 

there  lie  rtr^l  l)rt';Ul)t'<.l  on  tliem,  givini,'  llicm  llie 
Holy  Ghost,  and  |)errormin<j  Uie  promise  twice 
made  liefore  his  dealli,  the  promise  of  the  keys,  or 
of  binding  and  loosing^ ;  saying,  '  Whosesoever  sins 
ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  to  them  ;  and  whose- 
soever sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained.  And  that 
was  the  second  part  of  clerical  power  with  which 
Jesus  instructed  his  disciples,  in  order  to  their 
great  commission  of  preaching  and  government  ec- 
clesiastical. These  things  were  told  to  Thomas, 
but  he  *  believed  not,'  and  resolved  against  the  be- 
lief of  it.,  unless  he  might  '  put  his  finger  into  iiis 
hands,  and  his  hand  into  his  side,'  Jesus  there- 
fore, on  the  octave  of  his  resurrection,  appeared 
again  to  the  apostles  met  together,  and  makes  de- 
monstration to  Thomas,  in  conviction  and  reproof  of 
his  unbeliel';  promising  a  special  benediction  to  all 
succeeding  ages  of  the  churcli  ;  for  tliey  are  such 
who  '  saw  not,  and  yet  have  believed.' 

4.  But  Jesus,  at  his  early  appearing,  had  sent  an 
order  by  the  women,  that  the  disciples  should  go 
into  Galilee ;  and  they  did  so,  after  a  few  days. 
And  Simon  Peter  being  there,  went  a  fishing,  and 
six  other  of  the  apostles  with  him,  to  tlie  sea  of  Ti- 
berias, where  they  '  laboured  all  night,  and  caught 
notiiing.'  Towards  '  the  morning,  Jesus  appeared 
to  them,'  and  bade  them  '  cast  the  net  on  tlie  right 
side  of  tlie  ship  ;'  which  they  did,  and  'enclosed  an 
hundred  and  fifty-three  great  fishes:'  by  which 
prodigious  draught  John,  the  beloved  disciple,  ])er- 
ceived  '  it  was  the  liord.'  At  which  instant  '  Peter 
lliiew  himself  into  the  sea,'  and  went  to  Jesus;  and 
wiien  the  rest  were  come  to  shore,  they  dined  with 
lnoiled  fish.  After  flinner,  Jesus,  taking  care  for 
those  scattered  sheep    which   wfre  dispersed    over 


.^60  or    THE    nnSl'RRECTlON 

the  face  of  the  earth,  that  he  might  gather  them  intc 
one  sheepfold  under  one  shepherd,  asked  Peter, 
'Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lo  vest  thou  me  more  than 
these?  Peter  answered.  Yea,  Lord  ;  thou  thatknow- 
est  .all  things,  knouest  that  I  love  thee.  Then 
Jesus  said  unto  him,  Feed  my  lambs.'  And  Jesus 
asked  him  the  same  question,  and  gave  him  the 
same  precept,  the  second  time,  and  the  third  time: 
for  it  was  a  considerable  and  a  weighty  employ- 
ment, upon  which  Jesus  was  willing  to  spend  all 
his  endearments  and  stock  of  affections  that  Peter 
owed  him,  even  upon  the  care  of  his  little  flock. 
And  after  the  entrusting  of  this  charge  to  him,  he 
told  him,  that  the  reward  he  should  have  in  this 
world,  should  be  a  sharp  and  an  honourable  mar- 
tyrdom ;  and  withal  checks  Peter's  curiosity  in  bu- 
sying himself  about  the  temporal  accidents  of  other 
men;  and  enquiring  what  should  become  of  John, 
the  beloved  disciple,  Jesus  answered  th«is  question 
with  some  sharpness  of  reprehension,  and  no  satis- 
faction :  '  If  r  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  w  hat 
is  that  to  ihee  ?'  Then  they  fancied  that  he  should 
not  die  ;  but  they  were  mistaken  :  for  the  intima- 
tion was  expounded  and  verified,  by  St.  John's  sur- 
viving the  destruction  of  Jerusalem:  for  after  the 
attempts  of  persecutors,  and  the  miraculous  escape 
of  prepared  torments,  he  died  a  natural  death  in  a 
good  old  age. 

5.  After  this,  Jesus  having  appointed  a  solemn 
meeting  for  all  the  brethren  that  could  be  collected 
from  the  dispersion,  and  named  a  certain  mountain 
in  Galilee,  '  appeared  to  five  hundred  brethren  at 
once:'  and  this  was  his  most  public  and  solemn 
manifestation.  And  while  some  doubted,  Jesus 
came,  according  to  tlie  designation,  and  spake  to 


AM)   .\>;(^LVs|iiN    (.!•   jr.sus.  oOl 

tlie  fleven  ;  si^iit  ihem  to  '  preach  to  all  the  world 
repentance  and  remission  of  sins  in  his  name  ;'  pro- 
misine:  '  to  be  with  tiiem  to  the  end  of  the  woild.' 
He  appeared  also  unto  James,  but  at  what  time 
is  uncertain  ;  save  that  there  is  something^  concern- 
ino:  it  in  the  "gospel  of  St  Matthew,  which  the  Na- 
zarenes  of  Beraea  used,  and  whicli  it  is  likely  them- 
selves added  out  of  repoit ;  for  there  is  nothJn<2^  of 
it  in  our  Greek  copies.  The  words  are  these: 
"  When  the  Lord  had  given  the  linen  in  which  he 
was  wrapped,  t<xthe  servant  of  the  hiifh-priest,  he 
went  and  appeared  unto  James.  For  James  had 
vowed,  after  he  had  received  the  Lord's  supper, 
that  he  would  eat  no  bread  fill  he  saw  the  Lord 
risen  from  the  grave.  Then  the  liOrd  called  for 
bread,  he  blessed  it,  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it  to 
James  the  Just,  and  said.  My  brother,  eat  bread  ; 
for  the  Son  of  man  is  risen  from  the  sleep  of  death." 
So  that  by  this  it  should  seem  to  be  done  upon  liie 
day  of  the  resurrection.  But  the  relation  of  it  by 
St.  Paul  j)uts  it  between  tiie  appearance  which  he 
made  to  the  five  hundred,  and  that  last  to  the 
apostles,  when  he  was  to  ascend  into  heaven.  Last 
of  all,  when  the  apostles  were  '  at  dinner,  he  ap- 
peared to  them,  upbraiding  their  incredulity  :'  and 
'  then  he  opened  their  understanding,  that  they 
might  discern  the  sense  of  Scripture  ;'  and  again 
commanded  them  to  preach  the  gospel  to  all  the 
world  ;  giving  them  power  '  to  do  miracles,  to  ca-^t 
out  devils,  to  cure  diseases  :'  and  instituted  the  sa- 
crament of  baptism,  which  he  commanded  should, 
together  with  the  sermons  of  the  gospel,  be  ad- 
niiiiislered  '  to  all  nations,  in  tiie  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Giiost, 
Tlien  he  led  them  into  Judea,  and  thev  came  to 


3(i2  or    THE    RKSl  RIIKCTION. 

Ketliany,  and  from  thence  to  the  Mount  Olivet  f 
and  he  commanded  them  to  stay  in  Jerusalem  till 
the  Holy  Ghost,  '  the  promise  of  the  Father,  should 
descend  ujjon  them,' which  should  be  accomplished 
in  a  few  days;  and  then  they  should  know  the 
times  and  the  seasons,  and  all  things  necessary  for 
their  ministration  and  service,  and  propagation  of 
the  gospel.  And  while  he  '  discoursed  many 
things  concerning  the  kingdom,'  behold  a  cloud 
came  and  parted  Jesus  from  them,  and  carried  him 
in  tiieir  sight  up  into  heaven,  where  he  sits  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  blessed  for  ever.    Amen. 

6.  While  his  apostles  '  stood  gazing  up  to  hea- 
ven, two  angels  appeared  to  them,  and  told  them, 
that  *  Jesus  should  come  in  like  manner  as  he  was 
taken  away  ;'  viz.  with  glory  and  majesty,  and  in 
the  clouds,  and  with  the  ministry  of  angels.  Amen, 
Come,  Lord  Jesus;  come  quickly.' 


Ad.  section  XVI. 

Considerations  upon  the  Accidents  happening  in  the 
interval  after  the  Death  of  the  holy  Jesus,  until  his 
Resurrection. 

1.  The  holy  Jesus  promised  to  the  blessed  thief, 
that  he  should  '  that  day  be  with  him  in  paradise  ;' 
which  therefore  was  certainly  a  place  or  state  of 
blessedness,  because  it  was  a  promise;  and  in  the 
society  of  Jesus,  whose  penal  and  afflictive  part  of 
i)is  work  of  redemption  was  finished  upon  the  cross. 
Our  blessed  Lord  did  not  promise  he  should  that 
day  be  with  him  in  his  kingdom  ;  for  that  day  it 
was  not  opened,  and  the  everlasting  doors  of  those 


ACCIDENTS    AFTER    THE    UEVTH    OF    JESUS.     303 

interior  recesses  were  to  be  shut  till  after  the  resur- 
rection, that  himself  was  to  ascend  thither,  and 
make  way  for  all  his  servants  to  enter,  in  the  same 
meliiod  in  which  he  went  before  us.  Our  blessed 
Lord  '  descended  into  hell,''  saith  the  creed  of  the 
apostles,  from  the  sermon  of  St.  Peter,  as  he  from 
the  words  of  David  ;  that  is,  into  the  state  of  sepa- 
ration and  common  receptacle  of  spirits,  accordinff 
to  the  style  of  Scripture.  But  the  name  of  '  hell' 
is  no  where  in  Scripture  an  appellative  of  the  king- 
dom of  Christ,  of  the  place  of  final  and  supreme 
glory.  But  concerning  the  verification  of  our  Lord's 
promise  to  the  beatified  thief,  and  his  own  state  of 
separation,  we  must  take  what  light  we  can  from 
Scripture,  and  what  we  can  from  the  doctrine  of 
the  primitive  church.  St.  Paul  had  two  great  re- 
velations :  he  was  '  rapt  up  into  paradise,'  and 
he  was  '  rapt  uj)  into  tiie  third  heaven  :'  and  these 
he  calls  '  visions  and  revelations;'  not  one,  but  di- 
vers:* for  paradise  is  distinguished  from  the  hea- 
ven of  the  l)lessed,  being  itself  a  receptacle  of  holy 
souls,  made  illustrious  with  visitation  of  angels, 
and  happy  by  being  a  repository  of  such  spirits, 
who  at  the  day  of  judgment  shall  go  forth  into 
eternal  glory.  In  the  interim,  Christ  hath  trod  all 
the  paths  before  us;  and  this  also  we  must  pass 
through,  to  arrive  at  the  courts  of  heaven.  Justin 
Martyr  said,  it  was  the  doctrine  of  heretical  per- 
sons, to  say  that  the  souls  of  the  blessed,  instantly 
upon  the  separation  from  their  bodies,  enter  into 
the  highest  heaven.'     And  Irenaeus  makes  heaven, 

'  Symbol  urn  Aquileiense,  et  ex  eo  Romanum  hodiemum. 
*  I\Iethodius  Cont.  Origen.  apud   Epiphan.     Idem  ait  MoM-t 
Bariephas,  lib.  de  Paiadiso,  p.  iv.cap.  7> 
■■  Dial.  adv.  'I'ryphon. 


J64  AC(.'1DENTS    ruOM    THE    DEATH 

and  the  intermetrutte  recef)tacle  of  souls  to  be  dis- 
tinct places;  both  blessed,  but  hugely  differing  in 
degrees.'  Tertullian  is  dog-matical  in  the  assertion, 
that  till  the  voice  of  tlie  great  archangel  be  heard,  and 
as  long  as  Christ  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  his  Father, 
making  intercession  for  the  church,  so  long  blessed 
souls  must  e\[)ect  the  assembling  of  their  brethren, 
the  great  congregation  of  the  church,  that  they 
may  all  pass  from  their  outer  courts  into  the  inward 
tabernacle,  the  holy  of  holies,  to  the  throne  of  God.* 
And  as  it  is  certain  that  no  soul  could  enter  into 
glory  before  our  Lord  entered,  by  whom  we  hope 
to  have  access;  so  it  is  most  agreeable  to  the  pro- 
portion of  the  mysteries  of  our  redemption,  that  we 
believe  the  entrance  into  glory  to  have  been  made 
by  our  Lord  at  his  glorious  ascension  ;  and  that  his 
soul  went  not  thither  before  then,  to  come  back 
again,  to  lie  contracted  into  the  sjjan  of  humanity, 
and  dwell  forty  days  in  his  body  upon  earth.  But 
that  he  should  return  from  paradise,  that  is,  from 
the  common  receptacle  of  departed  spirits  who  died 
in  the  love  of  God,  to  earth  again,  had  in  it  no 
lessening  of  his  condition,  since  himself  in  mercy 
called  back  Lazarus  from  thence  ;  and  some  others 
also  returned  to  live  a  life  of  grace,  which  in  all 
senses  is  less  than  the  least  of  glories.  Sufficient  it 
is  to  us,  that  all  holy  souls  departing  go  into  the 
hands,  that  is,  into  the  custody  of  our  Lord  ;  that 
they  '  rest    from    their   labours,  that  their    works 


•  Lib.  V.  cap.  3. 

-  Lib.  de  Anima ;  et  de  PraescripU  Idem  Sentiunt  Scriptor. 
Resp.ad  Orthod.  q.  70".  S.  Greg.  Nazianz.  Orat.  10.  S.  Chrv- 
60St.  Horn.  15,  in  Alatth.  S.  Ambr.  in  Micheam.  Cyrilli  Li- 
turg.  ICpiphaii.  ep.  apud  S.  Hier.  Theodoretus.  Tlieophylactus, 
et  vett.  passim. 


IS  III.    lilt;   lii.-i  i{iii;c  ju».N.  3('.o 

tshail  Collow  liicui  ;' '  ami  oveiUike  llieni  too,  at  tlie 
day  of  judgment:  thut  they  are  happy  presently; 
that  they  are  visited  by  angels;  that  God  sends,  as 
lie  pleases,  excellent  irradiations  and  types  of  glory 
to  entertain  them  in  tlieir  mansions:*  that  their 
condition  is  secured  :  but  the  crown  of  righteous- 
ness is  laid  up  against  the  great  day  of  judgment,' 
and  then  to  be  produced,  and  given  to  St.  Paul, 
and  to  all  that  love  the  coming  of  our  Lord ;  that 
is,  to  all  who  either  here  in  duty,  or  in  their  re- 
ceptacles, with  joy  and  certain  hope,  long  for  the 
revelation  of  that  day.  At  the  day  of  judgment 
Christ  will  '  send  the  angels,  and  they  shall  gather 
together  the  elect  from  ihe  four  winds;'*  and  all 
the  refuse  of  men,  evil  persons,  they  shall  throw 
into  everlasting  burning.  Then  our  blessed  Lord 
shall  call  to  the  elect  to  enter  into  the  kingdom, 
.ind  reject  the  cursed  into  the  portion  of  devils; 
for  whom  the  (ire  is  but  now  prepared  in  the  inter- 
val. For  '  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  Christ,'  saith  St.  Paul ;  '  that  every 
man  may  receive  in  his  body  according  as  lie  hath 
done,  whether  it  be  good  or  ■evil.'-*  Out  of  the  body 
the  reception  of  the  reward  is  not :  and  therefore 
St.  Peter  aHTirms,  that  'God  hath  delivered  the  evil 
angels  into  chains  of  darkness,  to  be  reserved  unto 
judgment.'''     And  St.  Jude  sailh,  that '  the  angels 


'  Itev.  xiv.  i;;. 

•  Just.  Mart,  "to,  inter  qu»st.  ad  Gentiles:  says,  '"That  the 
good  are  immediately  afier  death  carried  into  paradise,  where 
they  behold  the  I'acis  of  angel.s  and  the  vision  of  Christ." 

'  '2  Tim.  iv.  C,  *  flialt.  xiii.  41  ;  xxiv.  31. 

*  2  Cor.  V.  10  "Ij'rt  tcnfii'i^tiTai  iKnToc  tu  ifia  r«  aiLjiaTOC 
Bic  quidam  Cod.  ra  en)  tH  rroiftaror.  sir  connnuniter,  et  rectius. 

•^  U  Pet.  ii.  4. 


IMm  AiciDLNis  iiioM    rut:  uI'ATH 

which  kept  not  iheir  first  fiiith,  but  left  their  first 
habitation,  he  hath  reserved  in  everlasting  chains, 
under  darkness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great 
day.' '  And  therefore  the  devils  expostulated  with 
our  blessed  Saviour,  *  Art  thou  come  to  torment  us 
before  the  lime?'*  And  the  same  also  he  does  to 
evil  men,  'reserving  the  unjust  unto  the  day  of 
judgment  to  be  punished.''  For  since  the  actions 
which  are  to  be  judged  are  the  actions  of  the  whole 
man,  so  also  must  be  the  judicature.  And  our 
blessed  Saviour  intimated  this  to  his  apostles:  '  In 
my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions :  but  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  if  I  go  away,  I  will 
come  again,  and  take  you  unto  me ;  that  where  I 
am,  there  ye  may  be  also.'  *  At  Christ's  second 
coming  this  is  to  be  performed.^  Many  outer 
courts,  many  different  places  or  different  states 
there  may  be;  and  yet  there  is  a  place  whither 
holy  souls  shall  arrive  at  last,  which  was  not  then 
ready  for  us ;  and  was  not  to  be  entered  into,  until 
the  entrance  of  our  Lord  had  made  the  preparation  ; 
and  that  is  certainly  the  highest  heaven,  called  by 
St.  Paul,  the  third  heaven :  because  the  other  re- 
ceptacles were  ready,  and  full  of  holy  souls,  pa- 
triarchs, and  prophets,  and  holy  men  of  God  ;  con- 
cerning whom  St.  Paul  affirms  expressly,  that  'the 
fathers  received  not  the  promises ;  God  having 
provided  some  better  thing  for  us,  tliat  they  with- 
out us  sliould  not  be  made  perfect :'°  therefore  cer- 

'  Jude,  6.  «  Matt.  vili.  '2D. 

'■3  2  Pet.  ii.  9.  Lactant.  lib.  vii.  c.  21,  says,  "Let  it  not  be  sup- 
posed that  the  souls  of  men  are  immediately  judged ;  for  they 
are  detained  in  one  common  receptacle  till  the  time  appointed  for 
judgment." 

*  .John,  xiv.  2,  3.     '  Satiabor  cum  apparueris.    Psal.  xvii.  15. 

*  Heb.  xi.  40;  Irensns,  lib.  v.  adv.  Haeres.  ad.  fin.    Orig«n. 


iNiii.   int   Hi:si  RKEcriu.'v.  '361 

lain  il  is  tlinl  llieir  condition  was  a  state  of  imper- 
fection ;  and  \et  lliey  were  {)lHced  in  paradise,  in 
Abraham's  Iwsom  ;  and  thither  Christ  went,  and 
the  l)lessed  tliief  attended  him.  And  then  it  \va» 
that  Christ  made  their  condition  better.  For  tliougb 
still  it  lie  a  j  lace  of  relation  in  order  to  somethinj; 
beyond  it,  yet  the  term  and  object  of  their  hope  is 
changed.  They  sat  in  the  re^i^ions  of  darkness,  ex- 
pecting tl)at  great  promise  made  to  Adam  and  the 
j)atriarchs,  the  promise  of  the  Messias  :  but  when 
he  that  was  promised  came,  be  preached  to  the 
spirits  in  prison  ;  he  communicated  to  them  the 
mysteries  of  the  gospel,  the  secrets  of  the  kingdom, 
the  things  bidden  from  eternal  ages ;  and  taught 
them  to  look  up  to  the  glories  purchased  by  his 
passion,  and  made  the  term  of  their  expectation  l)e 
liis  second  coming,  and  the  objecbs  of  their  hope 
the  glories  of  tiie  beatific  vision.  And,  ahhongh 
the  state  of  separation  is  sometimes  in  Scripture 
called  heaven,  and  sometimes  hell ;  (for  these  words 
in  Scripture  are  of  large  significations;)  yet  it  is 
never  called  tlie  third  iieaven,  nor  the  hell  of  the 
damned :  for  altbougli  concerning  it  nothing  is 
clearly  revealed,  or  what  is  their  portion  till  the 
day  of  judgment ;  yet  il  is  intimated  in  a  parable, 
that  between  good  and  evil  spirits,  even  in  the 
state  of  separation,  there  is  distance  of  place.  Cer- 
tain il  is,  there  is  great  distance  of  condition  :  and 
as  the  holy  souls  in  their  regions  of  light  are  full  of 
love,  joy,  hop*,',  and  longing  for  the  coming  of  the 
great  day  ;  so  tliu  accursed  do  expect  il  willj  an  in- 

Hoin.7,  in  Levit.  ;  Chrysostoiu.  Horn. 39,  in  1  Cor.;  Theodo- 
rot;  Theophyl. ;  Oecmneniusin  Heb.  11 ;  S.  Aug.  lib.  i.  ;  Ke- 
tract.  c.  14  ;  Victorin.  .Man.  in  c.  6;  Apoc  Ambros.  de  bono 
Mortis,  c.  10,  11. 


368  ACClDt.NTS    IRUM    THE    DIIATH 

supportable  amazement,  and  are  presently  tdrment- 
ed  with  apprehensions  of  the  future.  Happy  are 
they  that  through  paradise  pass  into  the  kingdom  ; 
who  from  their  highest  hope  pass  to  the  greatest 
charity  ;  from  the  state  of  a  blessed  separation  to 
the  mercies  and  gentle  sentence  of  the  day  of  judg- 
ment,'  which  St,  Paul  prayed  to  God  to  grant 
Onesiphorus ;  and  more  explicitly  for  the  Thessa- 
ionians,  '  that  their  whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and 
body,  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming  oi 
our  Lord  Jesus.' ''  And  T  pray  God  to  grant  the 
same  to  me,  and  all  faithful  people  whatsoever. 

2.  As  soon  as  the  Lord  had  given  up  his  Spirit 
into  the  hands  of  God,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was 
rent;  the  angels,  guardians  of  the  place,  deserted 
it ;  the  rites  of  Moses  were  laid  open,  and  the  en- 
closures of  the  tabeinacle  were  disparked  ;  tl.c  earth 
trembled,  the  graves  were  opened,  and  all  the  old 
world  and  the  old  religion  were  so  shaken  towards 
their  first  chaos,  that  if  God  had  not  suj)ported  the 
one,  and  reserved  the  other  for  an  honourable 
burial,  the  earth  had  left  to  support  her  children, 
and  the  synagogue  had  been  thrown  out  to  an  in- 
glorious exposition  and  contempt.  But  yet  in 
these  symbols  these  were  changed  from  their  first 
condition,  and  passed  into  a  new  dominion ;  all 
old  things  passed  away,  and  all  things  became 
new ;  the  earth  and  the  heavens  were  reckoned  as 
a  new  creation  ;  they  passed  into  another  kingdom, 
under  Christ  their  Lord;  and  as  before  the  creatures 


'  2  Tim.  i.  18. 

*  1  Thess.  V,  23 ;  vide  IrenEeum  in  hunc  locum,  lib.  v.  c.  6, 
adv.  Hseres.  ubi  probat  absque  unione  corporis,  animse  etspiritAs^ 
hoininem  non  esse. 


UNTIL    iHt    atStnilLCTlON.  309 

were  servants  of  human  necessities,  they  now  be- 
come servants  of  election,  and  in  order  to  the  ends 
of  ^race,  as  before  of  nature  ;  Clirist  having  now 
the  power  to  dispose  of  them  in  order  to  his  kin;i- 
dom,  and  by  the  administration  of  iiis  own  wisdom. 
And  at  the  instant  of  tliese  accidents,  God  so  de- 
termined tlie  persuasions  of  men,  that  they  refierred 
tiiese  prodigies  to  the  honour  of  Christ,  and  took 
them  as  testimonies  of  that  truth,  fur  the  afhrma- 
tion  of  which  tlie  high -priest  liad  condemned  our 
dearest  Lord.  And  although  the  heart  of  the 
priest  rent  not,  even  then  when  rocks  did  tear  in 
pieces;  yet  the  people  who  saw  the  passion  smote 
their  breasts,  and  returned,  and  confessed  Christ.' 

3.  The  graves  of  the  dead  were  opened  at  the 
<leath,  but  the  dead  bodies  of  the  saints  that  slept 
arose  not  till  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord  :*  for  he 
was  tlie  fnst-fruits,  and  they  followed  him  as  in- 
stant witnesses,  to  publish  the  resurrection  of  their 
head  ;  which  it  is  possible  they  declared  to  those  to 
whom  they  appeared  in  the  holy  city.  And  amongst 
these,  the  curiosity  or  pious  credulity  of  some  have 
supposed  Adam  and  Eve,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob;  who  therefore  were  careful  to  be  buried  in 
the  land  of  promise,  as  having  some  intimation  or 
hope  that  they  nii^hl  be  partakers  of  the  earliest 
glories  of  the  Messias,  in  whose  faith  and  distant 
expectation  they  lived  and  died.  And  this  calling 
up  of  con)pany  from  their  graves,  did  publish  to 
all  the  world,  not  only  that  the  Lord  himself  was 
risen,  according  to  his  so  frequent  and  repeated 
predictions,   but  that  he  meant  to  raise  up  all  hi.s 

'  S.  Ambros.  lib.  x.  in  Lucam. 
*  Euieb.  Kniis.  Horn.  6,  dc    Pascli. 
vol..    li.  46 


370       ACClUENTs  FROM  THE  DEATH 

servants ;  and  that  all  wlio  believe  in  him  should 
he  partakers  of  the  resurrection.' 

4.  When  the  soldiers  observed  that  Jesus  was 
dead,  out  of  spite  and  impotent  ineffective  malice, 
one  of  them  pierced  his  holy  side  with  a  spear ; 
and  the  rock  being  smitten,  it  gushed  out  with 
water  and  blood  ;^  streaming  forth  two  sacraments 
lo  refresh  the  church,  and  opening  a  gate  that  all 
Ids  brethren  might  enter  in,  and  dwell  in  the  heart 
of  God.  And  so  great  a  love  had  our  Lord,  that 
lie  suffered  his  heart  to  be  opened  ;  lo  show,  that 
as  Eve  was  formed  from  the  side  of  Adam,  so  was 
the  church  to  be  from  the  side  of  her  Lord,  re- 
ceiving from  tlience  life  and  spiritual  nutriment ; 
which  he  ministered  in  so  great  abundance,  and 
suffered  himself  to  be  jnerced,  liiat  all  his  blood 
did  stream  over  us,  until  he  made  the  Ibuntain 
dry,  and  reserved  nothing  of  that  by  which  he 
knew  his  church  was  '  to  live,  and  move,  and  have 
her  being.'  Thus  the  stream  of  blood  issued  out 
to  become  a  fountain  for  the  sacrament  of  the 
chalice,  and  water  gushed  out  to  fill  the  fonts  of 
baptism  and  repentance.  The  blood,  being  the 
testimony  of  the  divine  love,  calls  upon  us  to  die 
(or  his  love,  when  he  requires  it;  and  the  noise  of 
the  water  calls  upon  us  to  purify  our  spirits,  and 
])resent  our  conscience  to  Christ,  '  holy  and  pure, 
without  spot  or  wrinkle.'  The  blood  running  upon 
us,  makes  us  to  be  of  the  cognation  and  family  of 
(rod  ;  and  the  water  quenches  the  flames  of  hell, 
and  the  fires  of  concupiscence. 

•5.  The  friends  and   disciples  of  tlie  holy  Jesus, 

'  'EXvTotivTo  TTcnTtr  oi  tiKaioi  hc  KciTtTrur  6  ^araroc. 
»  S.  Cyr.  Catech.  et  Chrysost.  Horn.  88,  in  2^  Mat. 


UNTIL    HIE    REStKHECriON.  37. 

Iiaviiiir  devoutly  composed  his  body  to  bnriiil 
anointed  it,  waslied  it,  and  condited  it  vvitli  spices 
and  perfumes,  laid  it  in  a  sepulchre  liewn  from  a 
rock  in  a  jjarden  :  which  (saith  Euthymius)  was 
therefore  done,  to  represent  that  we  were  by  this 
dealh  returned  to  paradise,  and  the  oraidens  ol 
pleasures  and  divine  favours,  from  whence,  by  the 
])revarication  of  Adam,  man  was  expelled.  Here 
he  finished  the  work  of  his  passion,  as  he  had  beo^un 
it,  in  a  j;arden ;  and  the  place  of  the  sepulchre, 
being  a  rock,  serves  the  ends  of  j)ious  succeedinjr 
ages :  for  the  place  remains  in  all  changes  of  go- 
vernment, of  wars,  of  earthquakes,  and  ruder  acci- 
dents, to  this  clay,  as  a  memorial  of  the  sepulchre 
of  our  dearest  Lord,  as  a  sensible  and  proper  con- 
firmalion  of  the  persuasions  of  some  persons,  and 
as  an  entertainment  of  their  pious  fancy,  and  reli- 
gious affections. 

6.  But  now  it  was  that  in  the  dark  and  undis- 
cerned  mansions  there  was  a  scene  of  the  greatest 
joy  and  the  greatest  horror  represented,  which  yet 
was  known  since  the  first  falling  of  the  n)orning 
stars.  'I'liose  holy  souls  whom  the  prophet  Ze- 
chariah  calls  '  prisoners  of  hope,  lying  in  the  lake 
where  there  is  no  water;''  that  is,  no  constant 
stream  of  joy  to  refresh  their  present  condition, 
(vet  supported  with  certain  showers  and  gracious 
xisitalions  from  God,  and  illuminations  of  their 
h  pe,)  iv)\\  that  they  saw  their  Redeemer  come  to 
rhange  their  condition,  and  to  improve  it  into  the 
iseighbourhoods  of  glory  and  clearer  revelation, 
njust  needs  have  the  Joy  ol    intelligent  and   beati- 

1  Zech.  ix.  II,  )'-'. 


372  ACCiDENis  raoM  the  heath 

fied  understandings,  of  redeemed  captives,  of  men 
forgiven  after  the  sentence  of  death,  of  men  satis- 
fied after  a  tedious  expectation,  enjoying  and 
seeing  their  Lord,  whom  for  so  many  ages  they  had 
expected.  But  the  accursed  spirits,  seeing  the 
darkness  of  their  prison  shine  with  a  new  light, 
and  their  empire  invaded,  and  their  retirements  of 
horror  discovered,  wondered  how  a  man  durst  ven- 
ture thither,  or  if  he  were  a  God,  how  he  should 
come  to  die.  But  the  holy  Jesus  was  like  that 
body  of  light,  receiving  into  himself  the  reflection 
of  all  the  lesser  rays  of  joy  which  the  patriarchs 
felt,  and  being  united  to  his  fountain  of  felicity, 
apprehended  it  yet  more  glorious.  He  now  felt 
the  effects  of  his  bitter  passion  to  return  upon  him 
in  comforts,  every  hour  of  which  was  abundant 
recompence  for  three  hours'  passion  upon  the  cross ; 
and  became  to  us  a  great  precedent,  to  invite  us  to 
a  toleration  of  the  acts  of  repentance,  mortification, 
and  martyrdom,  and  that,  in  times  of  suffering, 
we  live  upon  the  stock  and  expense  of  faith  ;  as 
remembering,  that  these  few  moments  of  infelicity 
are  infinitely  paid  with  every  minute  of  glory,  and 
yet  that  the  glory  which  is  certainly  consequent, 
is  so  lasting  and  perpetual,  that  it  were  enough,  in 
a  lower  joy,  to  make  amends  by  its  continuation  of 
eternity.  And  let  us  but  call  to  mind  what 
thoughts  we  sliall  have  when  we  die,  or  are  dead  ; 
how  we  shall  then,  without  j)rejudice,  consider, 
that  if  we  had  done  our  duty,  the  trouble  and  the 
affliction  would  now  be  past,  and  nothing  remain 
but  pleasures  and  felicities  eternal ;  and  how  infi- 
nitely happy  we  shall  then  be,  if  we  have  done 
our  duty,  and   how  miserable  if  not;  all  the  plea- 


IN  til.    THK    HF.SLIIRI  LTIOS.  373 

sures  of  sin  cHsappearinfr,  and  nothing  surviving, 
but  a  certain  and  everlasting  torment.'  TiCt  us 
carry  ahvay  tlie  same  thoughts  with  us  which  must 
certainly  then  intervene,  and  we  shall  meet  the 
holy  Jesus,  and  partake  of  his  joys,  which  over- 
flowed his  holy  soul  when  he  first  entered  into  the 
possession  of  those  excellent  fruits  and  effects  of 
his  passion. 

7.  When  the  third  day  was  come,  the  soul  of 
Jesus  returned  from  paradise,  and  the  visitation  of 
separate  spirits,  and  re-entered  into  his  iioly  body, 
which  he  by  his  divine  power  did  redintegrate, 
filling  his  veins  with  blood,  healing  all  the  wounds, 
excepting  those  five  of  his  hands,  feet,  and  side, 
which  he  reserved  as  trophies  of  his  victory,  and 
arguments  of  his  passion.  And  as  he  had  com- 
forted tlie  souls  of  the  fathers  with  the  presence 
of  his  Spirit,  so  now  he  saw  it  to  be  time  to  bring 
comfort  to  his  holy  mother,  to  re-establish  the  tot- 
tering faith  of  his  disciples,  to  verify  his  promise, 
to  make  demonstration  of  his  divinity,  to  lay  some 
superstructures  of  his  church  upon  the  foundation 
of  his  former  sermons,  to  instruct  them  in  the  mys- 
teries of  his  kingdom,  to  pre})are  them  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  as  he  had,  in  his  state 
of  separation,  triumphed  over  hell,  so  in  his  resur- 
rection lie  set  his  foot  upon  death,  and  brought  it 
under  his  dominion  ;  so  that  although  it  was  not 
yet  destroyed,  yet  it  is  made  iiis  subject.  It  hath 
:us  yet  the  condition  of  the  Gibeonites,  who  were 
not  banished  out  of  the  land,  but  they  were  made 
'drawers  of  water  and  hewers  of  wood  :'  so  is  death 
made    instrumental    to    Christ's    kingdom,    bul   it 

'  Musonius  apiid  A.  (ii-llium,  lib.  xvi.  c.  1. 


374  AC(iDj:Nr.s  from  the  deaim 

abides  still,  and  shall  till  the  day  of  judg-ment; 
but  shall  serve  the  ends  of  our  Lord,  and  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  eternity,  and  do  benefit  to  the 
church. 

8.  And  it  is  considerable,  that  our  blessed  Lord 
having  told  them  that  after  three  days  he  would 
rise  again,  yet  he  shortened  the  time  as  much  as 
was  possible,  that  he  might  verify  his  own  predic- 
tion, and  yet  make  his  absence  the  least  trouble- 
some. He  rises  '  early  in  the  morning,  the  first 
day  of  the  week.'  For  so  our  dearest  Lord  abbre- 
viates the  days  of  our  sorrow,  and  lengthens  the 
years  of  our  consolation.  For  he  knows  that  a 
day  of  sorrow  seems  a  year,  and  a  year  of  joy 
passes  like  a  day  ;  and  therefore  God  lessens  the 
one  and  lengthens  the  other,  to  make  this  perceived 
and  that  supportable.  Now  the  temple  which  the 
Jews  destroyed,  God  raised  up  in  six-and-thirty 
hours.  But  this  second  temple  was  more  glorious 
than  the  first;  for  now  it  was  clothed  with  robes  of 
glory  and  clarity,  agility  and  immortality.  And 
though,  like  Moses  descending  from  the  mount,  he 
wore  a  veil,  that  the  greatness  of  his  splendour 
might  not  render  him  unapt  for  conversation  with 
his  servants ;  yet  the  holy  Scripture  affirms  that 
he  was  *  now  no  more  to  see  corruption  ;'  meaning, 
that  now  he  was  separate  from  the  passibility  and 
affections  of  human  bodies,  and  could  suffer  St. 
Thomas  to  thrust  his  hand  into  the  wound  of  his 
side,  and  his  finger  into  the  holes  of  his  hands, 
without  any  grief  or  smart. 

9.  But  although  the  graciousness  and  care  of  the 
Lord  had  urevented  all  diligence,  and  satisfied  all 
desires,  returning  to  life  before  the  most  forward 
faith    could    expect    him  ;    yet   there   were   three 


UNTIL     IHL    RKSL  KHEC  rUt.V.  375 

Marys  went  to  the  grave  so  early,  that  they  pre- 
vented the  risiiiyj  of  the  sun  ;  and  thouj^h  with 
great  obedience  they  staid  till  tlie  end  oC  the  sab- 
bath, yet,  as  soon  as  that  was  done,  they  had  other 
parts  of  duty  and  affection,  which  called  with 
greatest  importunity  to  be  speedily  satisfied.  And 
if  obedience  had  not  bound  the  feet  of  love, 
they  had  gone  the  day  before ;  but  they  became 
to  us  admirable  patterns  of  obedien(;e  to  the  di- 
vine commandments.  For  though  love  were 
'  stronger  than  death,'  yet  obedience  was  stronger 
than  love,  and  made  a  rare  dispute  in  the  spirits  of 
those  holy  women,  in  which  the  flesh  and  the  spirit 
were  not  the  litigants,  but  the  spirit  and  the  spirit ; 
and  they  resisted  each  other  as  the  angel-guardian 
of  the  Jews  resisted  the  tutelar  angel  of  Persia, 
each  striving  who  should  with  most  love  and  zeal 
perform  their  charge  ;  and  God  determined  :  and 
so  he  did  here  too.  For  the  law  of  the  sabbath 
was  then  a  divine  commandment ;  and  although 
piety  to  the  dead,  and  to  such  a  dead,  was  ready  to 
force  their  choice  to  do  violence  to  tlieir  will,  bear- 
ing them  upon  wings  of  desire  to  the  grave  of  the 
Lord  ;  yet  at  last  they  reconciled  love  witli  obe- 
dience :  for  they  had  been  taught,  that  love  is 
best  expressed  in  keeping  of  the  divine  command- 
ments. But  now  they  were  at  liberty  ;  and  sure 
enough  they  made  use  of  its  first  minute,  and 
going  so  early  to  see  Chris^t,  they  were  sure  they 
should  find  hiu). 

10.  Tlie  angels  descended  guardians  of  the  se- 
pulchre ;  for  God  sent  his  guards  too,  and  ihey 
affrighted  the  watch  appointed  by  Pilate  and  the 
priests.  Hut  when  the  women  came,  tliey  spake 
like  comforters,  full  of  sweetness  and  consolation, 


37G  ACCIHtNTS    FHOM    THE    DEATH 

laying'  aside  llieir  afFrighting  glories ;  as  knowing  it 
is  the  will  of  their  Lord,  that  they  should  minister 
good  to  them  that  love  him.  But  a  conversation 
with  angels  could  not  satisfy  them  who  came  to 
look  for  the  Lord  of  the  angels,  and  found  him  not. 
And  when  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  appear  to 
Mary  Magt?alen,  she  was  so  swallowed  up  with 
love  and  sorrow,  that  she  entered  into  her  joy  and 
perceived  it  not ;  she  saw  the  Lord,  and  knew  him 
not.  For  so,  from  the  closets  of  darkness  they  that 
immediately  stare  upon  the  sun,  jjerceive  not  the 
beauties  of  the  light,  and  feel  nothing  but  amaze- 
ment. But  the  voice  of  the  Lord  opened  her  eyes, 
and  she  knew  him  and  worshipped  him,  but  was 
denied  to  touch  him,  and  commanded  to  tell  the 
apostles.  For  therefore  God  ministers  to  us  com- 
forts and  revelations;  not  that  we  may  dwell  in 
the  sensible  fruition  of  them  ourselves  alone,  but 
that  we  communicate  the  grace  to  others.  But 
when  the  other  women  were  returned  and  saw  the 
Lord,  then  they  were  all  together  admitted  to  the 
embracement,  and  to  kiss  the  feet  of  Jesus  :  for  God 
hath  his  opportunities  and  periods  which  at  ano- 
ther time  he  denies  :  and  we  must  then  rejoice  in 
it  when  he  vouchsafes  it;  and  submit  to  his  divine 
will,  when  he  denies  it. 

n.  These  good  women  had  the  first-fruits  of  the 
apparition  :  for  their  forward  love,  and  the  passion 
of  their  religion,  made  greater  haste  to  entertain  a 
grace,  and  was  a  greater  endearment  of  their  per- 
sons to  our  Lord  than  a  more  sober,  reserved,  and 
less  active  spirit.  This  is  more  safe,  but  that  is  re- 
ligious ;  this  goes  to  God  by  the  way  of  under- 
standing, that  by  the  will ;  this  is  supported  by 
discourse,  that  by  passions ;  this  is  the  sobriety  of  the 


IN  III    THK  ittsi  itiiuc  HON.  :577 

u|)ostlts,  tin-  oilier  uus  the  zeal  oC  the  holy  women 
And  because  a  strong  fancy  and  an  earnest  passion, 
fixed  upon  holy  objects,  are  the  most  active  and 
forward  instruments  of  devotion,  as  devotion  is  of 
love;  therefore  we  find  that  God  hath  made  jjreat 
expressions  of  his  acceptance  of  such  dispositions. 
And  women,  and  less  knowing'  persons,  and  ten- 
der dispositions,  and  pliant  natures,  will  make  u]» 
a  greater  number  in  heaven,  than  the  severe,  anrl 
wary,  and  enq.uiring  people ;  who  sometimes  love 
because  they  believe,  and  believe  because  they  can 
demonstrate,  but  never  believe  because  they  love. 
When  a  great  understanding,  and  a  great  affection 
meet  together,  it  makes  a  saint  great,  like  an  apos- 
tle ;  but  they  do  not  well  who  make  abatement  of 
their  religious  passions  by  the  severity  of  their  under- 
standing. It  is  no  matter  by  which  we  are  brought 
to  Christ,  so  wo  love  him  and  obey  him  :  but  if  the 
production  admit  of  degrees,  that  instrument  is  the 
most  excellent  which  produces  the  greatest  love. 
And  although  discourse  and  a  sober  spirit  be  in  it- 
self the  best,  yet  we  do  not  always  suffer  that  to  be 
a  parent  of  as  great  religion  as  the  good  women 
make  their  fancy,  their  softness,  and  their  passion. 
12.  Our  blessed  Lord  appeared  next  fo  Simon  : 
and  though  he  and  John  ran  forth  together,  and  St. 
John  outran  Simon  ;  although  Simon  Peter  had 
denied  and  forsworn  his  Lord,  and  St.  John  never 
rlid,  and  followed  him  to  his  passion  and  his  death; 
yet  Peter  had  the  favour  of  seeing  Jesus  first. 
Which  some  spiritual  persons  understand  as  a  tes- 
timony, that  penitent  sinners  have  accidental  emi- 
nencies  and  privileges  sometimes  indulu:ed  to  thcni 
beyond  the  temporal  graces  of  the  just  and  inno- 
cent, 'IS  being  such  who  not  onlv  need  defensative* 


378  ACCIIHINIS     liinM     rilii     Ut  A  irt 

ftcraiiist  life  remanent  and  inherent  evils  even  of  re- 
pented sins,  and  their  aptnesses  to  relapse  ;  but 
also  because  those  who  are  true  penitents,  who  un 
derstand  the  infiniteness  of  the  divine  mercy,  and 
that  for  a  sinner  to  pass  from  death  to  life,  from 
the  state  of  sin  into  pardon  and  the  state  of  grace 
is  a  greater  gift,  and  a  more  excellent  and  improba- 
ble mutation,  than  for  a  just  man  to  be  taken  into 
jlory ;'  out  of  gratitude  to  God,  and  endearment  for 
so  great  a  change,  added  to  a  fear  of  returning 
to  such  danger  and  misery,  will  reinforce  all  their 
industry  and  double  their  study,  and  observe  more 
diligently,  and  watch  more  carefully,  and  '  redeem 
the  time,'  and  make  amends  for  their  omissions,  and 
oppose  a  good  to  the  former  evils,  besides  the  du- 
ties of  the  present  employment ;  and  then,  com- 
monly, the  life  of  a  holy  penitent  is  more  holy, 
active,  zealous,  and  impatient  of  vice,  and  more 
rapacious  of  virtue  and  holy  actions,  and  arises  to 
greater  degrees  of  sanctity,  than  the  even  and  mo- 
derate affections  of  just  persons,  who  (as  our  bles- 
sed Saviour's  expression  is)  '  need  no  repentance;* 
that  is,  no  change  of  state,  nothing  but  a  pei^sever- 
ance,  and  an  improvement  of  degrees.  *  There  is 
more  joy  in  heaven,  before  the  angels  of  God,  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth,  than  over  ninety  and 
nine  just  persons  that  need  it  not;'  for,  '  where  sin 
hath  abounded,  there  doth  grace  superabound ;' ' 
and  that  makes  joy  in  heaven. 

13.  The  holy  Jesus  having  received  the  affections 
of  his  most  passionate  disciples,  the  women  and  St. 

'  "  It  is  a  greater  wonder,"  says  St.  Augustine  "  that  a  smner 
should  pass  from  a  state  of  sin  to  a  state  of  grace,  than  that  he 
bliould  pass  from  this  world  into  lieaven" 

''  Luke,  XV.  7- 


I  NTH.    niK    IMSl  fdtlU  1  ION.  379 

Peter,  piil>.  liiiiiself  upon  tlio  way  into  the  company 
of  two  gooci  men  j,'oin5j  to  Em  mans,  with  troubled 
spirits  and  a  reeling-  failli,  shaking  all  its  upper 
building,  but  leaving  some  of  its  foundation  firm. 
To  them  the  Lord  discourses  of  the  necessity  of 
the  death  and  resurrection  of  the  Messias,  and 
taught  them  not  to  take  estimate  of  the  counsels  of 
(Jod  by  the  designs  and  proportions  of  man :  for 
God,  by  ways  contrary  to  human  judgment,  brings 
to  pass  the  purposes  of  his  eternal  providence. 
The  glories  of  Christ  were  not  made  pompous  by 
human  circumstances  ;  his  kingdom  was  spiritual ; 
he  was  to  enter  into  felicities  through  the  gates 
of  death  ;  he  refused  to  do  miracles  before  Herod, 
and  yet  did  them  before  the  people  ;  he  confuted 
his  accusers  by  silence;  and  did  not  descend  from 
the  cross  when  they  offered  to  believe  in  him  if  he 
would,  but  left  them  to  be  persuaded  by  greater 
arguments  of  his  power,  the  miraculous  circum- 
stances of  his  death,  and  the  glories  of  his  resur- 
rection ;  and  by  walking  in  the  secret  paths  of  di- 
vine election,  hath  commanded  us  to  adore  his 
footsteps,  to  admire  and  revere  liis  wisdom,  to  be 
satisfied  with  all  the  events  of  providence,  and  to 
rt-joico  in  him,  if  by  afflictions  he  makes  us  holy, 
if  by  persecutions  he  supports  and  enlarges  his 
church,  if  by  death  he  brings  us  to  life.  So  we  ar- 
rive at  the  communion  of  his  felicities,  we  must 
let  him  choose  the  way ;  it  being  sufficient  that  he 
is  our  guide,  and  our  support,  and  our  '  exceeding 
great  reward.'  For  therefore  Christ  preached  to 
the  two  disciples,  going  to  Emmaus,  the  way  of  the 
cross,  and  the  necessity  of  that  passage,  that  the 
wisdom  of  God  might  be  glorified,  and  the  conjec- 
tures of  man  ashamed.     But  whil^^t   his  discour8<i 


980  ACCIDENTS    FItOM    THE    DliAIH 

lasted,  tl)ey  knew  him  not;  but  in  the  breaking  of 
bread  he  discovered  himself.  For  he  turned  their 
meal  into  a  sacrament,  and  their  darkness  to  light; 
and  having  to  his  sermon  added  the  sacrament, 
opened  all  their  discerning  faculties,  the  eyes  of 
thfiir  body  and  their  understanding  too ;  to  repre- 
sent to  us,  that  when  we  are  blessed  with  the  op- 
j)ortunities  of  both  those  instruments,  we  want  no 
exterior  assistance  to  guide  us  in  the  way  to  the 
knowing  and  enjoying  of  our  Lord. 

!4.  But  the  apparitions  which  Jesus  made  were 
all  upon  the  design  of  laying  the  foundation  of  all 
Ciiristian  graces;  for  the  begetting  and  establish- 
ing faith  and  an  active  confidence  in  their  persons, 
and  building  them  up  on  the  great  fundamentals 
of  the  religion.  And  therefore  he  appointed  a 
general  meeting  upon  a  mountain  in  Galilee,  that 
the  number  of  witnesses  might  not  only  dissemi- 
nate the  fame,  but  establish  the  article  of  the  re- 
surrection ;  for  upon  that  are  built  all  the  hopes  of 
a  Christian  ;  and  '  if  the  dead  rise  not,  then  we  are 
of  all  men  the  most  miserable,'  in  quitting  the  pre- 
sent possessions,  and  entertaining  injuries  and  af- 
fronts without  hopes  of  reparation.  But  we  lay 
two  gages  in  several  repositories :  the  body  in  the 
bosom  of  the  earth,  the  soul  in  the  bosom  of  God  ; 
and  as  we  here  live  by  faith,  and  lay  them  down 
with  hope,  so  the  resurrection  is  a  restitution  of 
them  both,  and  a  state  of  reunion.  And  therefore 
although  the  glory  of  our  spirits  without  the  body 
were  joy  great  enough  to  make  compensation  for 
more  than  the  troubles  of  all  the  world ;  yet  be- 
cause one  shall  not  be  glorified  without  the  other, 
they  being  of  themselves  incomplete  substancea, 
and  God  having  revealed   nothing  clearly  concern- 


I'NTii.   rnr.  i«KMjmu;crioN.  as. 

inn;  actiuil  and  complete  felicities  till  the  ilay  of 
jiulf^ment,  when  it  is  jjioniised  our  bodies  sliiill 
rise;  therefore  it  is  that  the  resurrection  is  tlie 
great  article  upon  which  we  rely,  and  which  Christ 
took  so  much  care  to  prove  and  ascertain  to  so 
many  pei-sons;  because  if  that  should  be  disbe- 
lieved with  which  all  our  felicities  are  to  be  re- 
ceived, we  have  nothing  to  establish  our  faitii,  or 
entertain  our  hope,  or  satisfy  our  desires,  or  make 
retribution  for  that  state  of  secular  inconveniences 
in  which,  by  the  necessities  of  our  nature,  and  the 
humility  and  patience  of  our  religion,  we  are  en- 
gaged. 

15.  But  I  consider  that  Holy  Scripture  only  in- 
structs us  concerning  the  life  of  this  world  and  the 
life  of  the  resurrection,  the  life  of  grace  and  the 
life  of  glory,  both  in  the  body  ;  that  is,  a  life  of 
the  whole  man:  and  whatsoever  is  spoken  of  the 
soul,  considers  it  as  an  essential  part  of  man,  re- 
lating to  his  whole  constitution,  not  as  it  is  of  itself 
an  intellectual  and  separate  substance ;  for  all  its 
actions  which  are  separate  and  removed  from  the 
body  are  relative  and  incomplete.  Now  because 
the  soul  is  an  incomplete  substance,  and  created  in 
relation  to  the  body,  and  is  but  a  part  of  the 
whole  man,  if  the  body  were  as  eternal  and  incor- 
ruptible as  the  soul,  yet  the  separation  of  the  one 
from  tlie  other  would  be,  as  now  it  is,  that  which 
we  call  natural  death  ;  and  supposing  that  God 
should  preserve  the  body  for  ever,  or  restore  it  at 
the  day  of  jiuignient  to  its  full  substance  and  per- 
fect organs,  yet  the  man  would  be  dead  for  ever, 
if  the  soul  for  ever  should  continue  separate  from 
the  body.  So  that  the  other  life,  that  is,  the  state 
of  resurrection,    is    u    reuniting    soul    and    body. 


3^ 


ACClDENrs    IIIOM    MIL    Dt  ATH 


And  althougli,  in  a  philosophical  sense,  the  resur- 
rection is  of  the  body,  that  is,  a  restiliUion  of  our 
llesh  and  blood  and  bones,  and  is  called  resur- 
rection, as  the  entrance  into  the  state  of  resurrection 
may  have  the  denomination  of  the  whole ;  yet  in 
the  sense  of  Scripture  the  resurrection  is  the  resli- 
tulion  of  our  life,  the  renovation  of  the  whole  man, 
the  state  of  reunion  ;  and,  until  that  be,  the  man 
is  not,  but  he  is  dead,  and  only  his  essential  parts 
are  deposited  and  laid  up  in  trust;  and  therefore 
whatsoever  the  soul  does  or  perceives  in  its  in- 
complete condition,  is  but  to  it  as  enibalminj^ 
and  honourable  funerals  to  the  body,  and  a  safe 
monument  to  preserve  it  in  order  to  a  livin<( 
again ;  and  the  felicities  of  the  interval  are  wholly 
in  order  to  the  next  life.  And  therefore,  if  there 
were  to  be  no  resurrection,  as  these  intermediate 
joys  should  not  be  at  all,  so  as  they  are,  they  are 
but  relative  and  incomplete  :  and  therefore  all  our 
hopes,  all  our  felicities  depend  upon  the  resurrec- 
tion ;  without  it  we  should  never  be  persons,  men 
or  women :  and  then  the  state  of  separation  could 
be  nothing  but  a  phantasm,  trees  ever  in  blossom, 
never  bearing  fruit,  corn  for  ever  in  the  blade, 
egffs  always  in  the  shell,  a  hope  eternal  never  to 
pass  into  fruition  ;  that  is,  for  ever  to  be  deluded, 
for  ever  to  be  miserable.  And  therefore  it  was  an 
elegant  expression  of  St.  Paul,  '  Our  life  is  hid 
with  Christ  in  God;''  that  is,  our  life  is  passed 
into  custody,  the  dust  of  our  body  is  numbered, 
and  the  spirit  is  refreshed,  visited,  and  preserved  in 
celestial  mansions:  but  it  is  not  properly  called 
a  life;  for  all  this   while    the  man  is  dead,   and 

'  Coloss.  iij  3. 


UNTIL    iHi:    III  SI  IIHECTION.  383 

shall  thim  live  wlien  Christ  produces  this  hidden 
life  at  the  j^ieat  day  of  restitution.  But  our  faith 
of  all  this  article  is  well  wrapped  up  in  the  words 
of  St,  Jolin  :  '  Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons  of 
God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall 
be;  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we 
shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is.' ' 
The  middle  slate  is  not  it  wliich  Scripture  hath 
propounded  to  our  faith,  or  to  our  hope  ;  the  reward 
is  then  wlien  Christ  shall  appear  ;  hut  in  the  mean- 
time the  soul  can  converse  with  God  and  with 
ang^els,  just  as  the  holy  prophets  did  in  their 
dreams,  in  which  they  received  great  degrees  of 
favour  and  revelation.*  But  this  is  not  to  he  reck- 
oned any  more  than  an  entrance  or  a  waiting  for 
the  stale  of  our  fflicity.  And  since  the  glories  of 
heaven  is  the  great  Iruit  of  election,  we  may  consi- 
der that  the  body  is  not  predestinate,  nor  the  soul, 
alone,  bat  the  whole  man  ;  and,  until  the  parts 
embrace  again  in  an  essential  complexion,  it  can- 
not be  expected  either  of  tliem  should  receive  the 
portion  of  the  predestinate.  Hut  the  article  and 
the  event  of  future  things  is  rarely  set  in  order  by 
St.  Paul  :  'But  ye  are  come  into  the  Mount  Sion, 
and  to  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable  company  of 
angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the 
first-born,  wliich  are  written  in  lieaven,  and  to  God, 
thejudge  of  all,  (and  then  follows  alter  this  gene- 
ral assembly,  after  llic-  .hidge  of  all  appears,)  to  the 

>   1  John,  iii.  2. 

•  Orov  tv  r(fi  iiwriii'  KaU'  iavTi'iv  yu'i'iaqrai  i)  i'vxn,  ron 
rfjy  Iciov  uTToXaQvaa  i^ivaiy,  TToondi'Ttvirai  rt  k^  Trooayo- 
pivti  TO.  jueXXovra'  ToiavTi]  t't  In  k,  ir  ti/}  Kara  tov  ^ai'arop 
vapi^ter^ai  rwy  aw^tuTiov. — Arist.  apvid  Sext.  Empiric. 


384  ACCIDF.NTS    FROM     I'HE    DEATH 

spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect  ;' '  that  is,  re^ 
united  to  their  bodies,  and  entering'  into  glory. 
The  beginning  of  the  contrary  opinion  brought 
some  new  practices  and  appendant  persuasions 
into  the  church,  or  at  least  promoted  them  much. 
For  those  doctors  who,  receding  from  the  primitive 
belief  of  this  article,  taugiit  that  the  glories  of 
heaven  are  fully  communicated  to  the  souls  before 
the  <Iay  of  judgment,  did  also,  upon  that  stock, 
teach  the  invocation  of  saints,  whom  they  believed 
to  be  received  into  glory  ;  and  insensibly  also 
brought  in  the  opinion  of  j)urgatory,  that  tlie  less 
perfect  souls  might  be  glorified  in  the  time  that 
they  assigned  them.  But  the  safer  opinion  and 
more  agreeable  to  piety,  is  that  which  I  have  now 
described  from  Scripture  and  the  purest  ages  of  the 
church. 

16.  When  Jesus  appeared  to  the  apostles,  he 
gave  them  his  peace  for  a  benediction ;  and  when 
he  departed,  he  left  tliem  peace  for  a  legacy  ;  and 
gave  them,  according  to  two  former  promises,  the 
power  of  making  peace,  and  reconciling  souls  to 
God  by  a  ministerial  act ;  so  conveying  his  F'ather's 
mercy,  which  himself  procured  by  his  passion,  and 
actuates  by  his  intercession  and  the  giving  of  iiis 
grace,  that  he  might  comply  with  our  infirmities, 
and  minister  to  our  needs  by  instruments  even 
and  proportionate  to  ourselves;  making  our  breth- 
ren the  conduits  of  his  grace,  that  the  excellent 
effect  of  the  Spirit  might  not  descend  upon  us,  as 
the  law  upon  Mount  Sinai,  in  expresses  of  greatness 
and  terror,  but  in  earthen  vessels,  and  images  of 
infirmity  ;  so  God   manifesting  his  power  ir   the 

>   lleb.  xii.  22,  23 


•JNTIL  Hit:  REstitRcc  386 

imnllness  of  the  iiislrument,  and  descending  to 
our  needs,  not  only  in  |Tivini>;  tlie  jjrace  of  pardon, 
but  also  in  the  manner  of  its  ministration.  And 
I  meditate  upon  the  fjreatness  of  this  mercy,  by 
romparinfj;  this  grace  of  God,  and  the  hlessing  of 
ihe  judgment  and  sentence  we  receive  at  the 
band  of  the  cliurch,  witli  the  judgment  which 
God  makes  at  the  hour  of  death  upon  them  who 
have  despisetl  this  mercy,  ami  neglected  all  the 
other  parts  of  their  duty.  The  one  is  a  judgment 
jf  mercy,  the  other  of  vengeance :  in  tlie  one  tiie 
devil  is  the  accuser,  and  heaven  and  earth  bear 
witness;  in  the  other  tlie  penitent  sinner  accuses 
himself:  in  that  the  sinner  gets  a  pardon,  in  the. 
other  he  finds  no  remedy  :  in  that  all  his  good 
deeds  are  remembered  antl  returned,  and  liis  sins 
are  bloded  out;  in  the  oilier  all  his  evil  deeds 
are  represented  with  horror  and  a  sting,  and  re- 
main lor  ever:  in  the  fust  the  sinner  changes  his 
state  for  a  state  of  erace,  and  only  smarts  in  some 
temporal  austerities  and  acts  of  exterior  mortifica- 
tion ;  in  the  second  his  temporal  estate  is  changeii 
to  an  eternity  of  pain  :  in  the  first  tiie  sinner  suffers 
the  shame  of  one  man  or  one  society,  which  is 
sweetened  by  consolation,  and  homilies  of  mercy 
»nd  health  ;  in  the  latter,  all  his  sins  are  laid  open 
before  all  the  world,  and  himself  confounded  in 
eternal  amazement  and  confusions  ;  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  church,  the  sinner  is  honoured  by  all 
for  returning  to  the  bosom  of  his  mother,  and  the 
embraces  of  his  heavenly  Father;  in  ihe  judgment 
of  vengeance  he  is  laugiied  at  by  (lod,  and  mocked 
by  accursed  spirits,  anil  perishes  without  pity:  in 
this  he  is  prayed  for  by  none,  helped  by  none,  com- 
forted by  none,  and  lie  niake>  himself  a  companion 
VOL.    II.  4" 


3&0  ACCIDENTS    FUOM    THE    DEATH 

of  devils  to  everlasling  ages  ;  but  in  the  judg- 
ment of  repentance  and  tribunal  of  the  church, 
the  penitent  sinner  is  prayed  for  by  the  whole 
army  of  militant  saints,  and  causes  joy  to  all  the 
church  triumphant.  And  to  establish  this  tribu- 
nal in  the  church,  and  to  t-ransmit  pardon  to  peni- 
tent sinners,  and  a  salutary  judgment  upon  the 
person  and  the  crime,  and  to  appoint  physi- 
cians and  guardians  of  the  soul,  was  one  of  the  de- 
signs and  mercies  of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus. 
And  let  not  any  Christian  man,  either  by  false 
opinion  or  an  unbelieving  spirit,  or  an  incurious 
apprehension,  undervalue  or  neglect  this  ministry, 
which  Christ  hath  so  sacredly  and  solemnly  estab- 
lished. Happy  is  he  that  dashes  his  sins  against 
the  rock  upon  which  the  church  is  built,  that  the 
church  gathering  up  the  planks  and  fragments  of 
the  shipwreck,  and  the  shivers  of  the  broken  heart, 
may  reunite  them;  pouring  oil  into  the  wounds 
made  by  the  blows  of  sin,  and  restoring,  with 
meekness,  gentleness,  care,  counsel,  and  authority, 
persons  overtaken  in  a  fault.  For  that  act  of  mi- 
nistry is  not  ineffectual  which  God  hath  promised 
Bhall  be  ratified  in  heaven  ;  and  that  authority  is 
not  contemptible  which  the  holy  Jesus  conveyed, 
by  breathing  upon  his  church  the  Holy  Ghost. 
But  Christ  intended  that  those  vvhom  he  had  made 
guides  of  our  souls,  and  judges  of  our  consciences, 
in  order  to  counsel  and  ministerial  pardon,  should 
also  be  used  by  us  in  all  cases  of  our  souls ;  and 
that  we  go  to  heaven  the  way  he  hath  appointed ; 
that  is,  by  offices  and  ministries  ecclesiastical. 

17.  When  our  blessed  Lord  had  so  confirmed 
the  faiih  of  the  church,  and  a])pointed  an  ecclesias- 
tical ministry,  he   had   but  one  work  more   to  do 


UNTIl.    lUt    HthL  Kl!l;c: TJD.N.  387 

upon  earth,  and  that  was  Uie  institution  of  the  holy 
Bacrament  of  ba])t.isni  ;  which  he  ordained  as  a 
solemn  initiation  and  mysterious  jjrofession  of  the 
faith  upon  wliich  the  churcli  is  built;  makini>-  it  a 
solemn  publication  of  our  profession,  tlie  rite  of 
stipulation  or  enterint^  covenant  with  our  Lord, 
und  the  solemnity  of  the  paction  evanjjelical,  in 
which  we  undt;rlake  to  be  disciples  to  the  holy 
Jesus  ;  that  is,  to  believe  his  doctrine,  to  fear  his 
threatenint;s,  to  rely  upon  his  promises,  and  to 
obey  his  commandments  all  the  days  of  our  life.  ' 
And  he  for  his  part  actually  performs  much,  and 
promises  more  ;  he  takes  oft'  all  the  guilt  of  our  pre- 
tediuff  days,  purgfinij  our  souls  and  makin.^  them 
clean  as  in  the  day  of  innocence  ;  promisin;;-  witlial, 
that  if  we  perform  our  undertakiuLT,  and  remain  in 
the  state  in  which  he  now  ))uts  us,  he  will  c  )ntt- 
nually  assist  us  with  his  Spirit,  prevent  and 
attend  us  with  liis  grace  ;  he  will  deliver  us  from 
the  power  of  the  devil ;  he  will  keep  our  souls  in 
merciful,  joyful,  and  safe  custody,  till  the  great  day 
of  the  Lord  ;  he  will  then  raise  our  bodies  from  the 
grave,  he  will  make  them  to  be  spiritual  and  im- 
mortal, he  will  re-unite  them  to  our  souls,  and 
beatify  both  bodies  and  souls  in  his  own  kingdom, 
admitting  them  into  eternal  and  unspeakable  glo- 
ries.* All  which  that  he  might  verify  and  prepare 
respectively,  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples  he 
ascended  into  the  bosom  of  God,  and  the  eternal 
comprehensions  of  celestial  glory. 

'  ."Maik,  xvi.  ](i;  AcU,  iu  38;  xxii.  16;  Horn.  vi.  3,  4; 
Kph.  iv.  5,  &c.  ;  1  Cor.  xii.  13;  Col.  ii.  13;  Gal.  iii.  27  | 
I  Pet.  iii.  21. 

'  Mavt.  XKviii.  20. 


388  THE    DEATH    AND    RESURRECTION. 

THE  PRAYER. 

O  lioly  and  eternal  Jesus,  who  hast  overcome  deatV,  and  tri« 
umphed  over  all  the  powers  of  hell,  darkness,  sin,  and  the  grave, 
manifesting  the  truth  of  thy  promises,  the  power  of  thy  divinity, 
the  majesty  of  thy  person,  the  rewards  of  thy  glory,  and  the 
mercies  and  excellent  designs  of  thy  evangelical  kingdom,  by  thy 
glorious  and  powerful  resurrection,  preserve  my  soul  from  eternal 
death,  and  make  me  to  rise  from  the  death  of  sin,  and  to  live  the 
life  of  grace  ;  loving  thy  perfections,  adoring  tliy  mercy,  pursuing 
the  interest  of  thy  kingdom,  being  united  to  the  church  under 
thee  our  head,  conforming  to  thy  holy  laws,  established  in  faith, 
entertained  and  confirmed  with  a  modest,  humble,  and  certain 
hope,  and  sanctified  by  charity ;  that  I,  engraving  thee  in  my 
heart,  and  submitting  to  thee  in  my  spirit,  and  imitating  thee  in 
thy  glorious  example,  may  be  partaker  of  thy  resurrection,  which 
is  my  hope  and  my  desire,  the  support  of  my  faith,  the  object  of 
"■■y  }^y->  and  the  strength  of  my  confidence.  In  thee,  holy 
Jesus,  do  I  trust:  I  confess  thy  faith,  I  believe  all  that  thou 
hast  taught ;  I  desire  to  perform  all  thy  injunctions,  and  my  own 
undertaking.  My  soul  is  in  thy  hand,  do  thou  support  and 
guide  it,  and  pity  my  infirmities  :  and  when  thou  shalt  reveal 
thy  great  day,  show  to  me  the  mercies  and  effects  of  thy  advoca- 
tion, and  intercession,  and  redemption.  Thou  shalt  answer  for 
me,  O  Lord  my  God  ;  for  in  thee  have  I  trusted:  let  me  never 
be  confounded.  Thou  art  just,  thou  art  merciful,  thou  art  gra- 
cious and  compassionate,  thou  hast  done  miracles  and  prodigies  of 
favour  to  me  and  all  the  world.  Let  not  those  great  actions  and 
sufferings  be  ineffective,  but  make  me  capable  and  receptive  of 
thy  mercies,  and  then  I  am  certain  to  receive  them.  I  am  thine, 
O  save  me :  thou  art  mine,  O  holy  Jesus ;  O  dwell  with  me  for 
ever;  and  let  me  dwell  with  thee,  adoring  and  praising  the  eter- 
nal glories  of  God  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 


THE    END. 


BS2420.T243V.2 
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